


Turnabout Trigger Happy Havoc

by MortonMurphy



Series: Turnabout Trigger Happy Havoc [4]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Non-Despair (Dangan Ronpa), Angst, Betrayal, Blood and Violence, Case 3-5: Bridge to the Turnabout Spoilers, Character Death, Complete, Crossover, Distrust, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Gen, M/M, Minor Character Death, Multi, Murder, Murder Mystery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, akane nekomaru mahiru and iris only appear later, mild AJ spoilers though, phoenix might need to start drinking some Godot blends to deal with these people, some dr2 and dr3 characters are mentioned but nothing too spoilery, this is my excuse to make these characters interact, would this be turnabout 3-6?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:20:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 243,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27431146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MortonMurphy/pseuds/MortonMurphy
Summary: When a certain Hope's Peak ultimate is accused of a crime he didn't commit, Phoenix Wright is called upon to clear his name. However, Phoenix will have to contend with the atmosphere of secrecy and distrust that surrounds the class of 78 in order to clear the case. He'll have help from friends, new and old, but will it be enough to find the true killer?
Relationships: Asahina Aoi/Ogami Sakura (background), Ayasato Chihiro | Mia Fey & Naruhodou Ryuuichi | Phoenix Wright, Ayasato Harumi | Pearl Fey & Ayasato Mayoi | Maya Fey, Ayasato Mayoi | Maya Fey & Naruhodou Ryuuichi | Phoenix Wright, Enoshima Junko & Ikusaba Mukuro, Hagakure Yasuhiro & Kuwata Leon, Ikusaba Mukuro & Naegi Makoto, Ikusaba Mukuro/Naegi Makoto (one-sided), Ishimaru Kiyotaka/Oowada Mondo (background), Itonokogiri Keisuke | Dick Gumshoe & Mitsurugi Reiji | Miles Edgeworth, Kirigiri Kyoko/Naegi Makoto, Kuwata Leon & Maizono Sayaka, Kuwata Leon & Naegi Makoto, Maizono Sayaka & Naegi Makoto, Mitsurugi Reiji | Miles Edgeworth/Naruhodou Ryuuichi | Phoenix Wright (implied), itonokogiri Keisuke | Dick Gumshoe/Suzuki Mako | Maggey Byrde (mentioned)
Series: Turnabout Trigger Happy Havoc [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1964647
Comments: 210
Kudos: 192





	1. Prologue: The Cards Were Wrong (Yasuhiro)

**Author's Note:**

> Well I'm nervous as heck, hopefully this goes well. I'm so excited to get into the story!

Hiro rubbed his eyes, trying to focus on the math textbook in front of him. Groaning, he shut the book and instead began to shuffle the deck of tarot cards that he kept handy in his coat pocket. He could practically hear Taka’s nagging in the back of his head, telling him to get back on track. After all, this latest study session was largely Taka’s doing, the prefect demanding that Hiro study to ensure that he finally graduated at the end of the month with the rest of the class. 

Originally, tonight was going to be another night of goofing off with Leon, of course none of the activities they’d had planned (getting high and blasting metal music) were Taka approved. The hall monitor happened to overhear him complaining to Leon and Makoto as they were exiting class about his latest grades, and he’d even joked that he’d be getting held back again. Of course, Hiro hadn’t meant it, besides, getting held back would at least guarantee him protection from the mafia, or even the illuminati. However, he wasn’t sure if he could handle being a high schooler much longer, but Taka wasn’t going to afford him the option of failure. 

The ultimate moral compass insisted that he take the night to study, stating that the first wave of exams were coming in a few days. “Yasuhiro Hagakure, you cannot put this off any longer,” he’d stated matter-of-factly. 

Of course, he and Leon had both objected on the grounds that it was a Friday night. “No sane person does school shit on a Friday night,” Leon insisted. 

Taka’s eyebrows furrowed. “I do schoolwork on a Friday all the time! What are you insinuating?”

“You are a bit insane, with all that rules crap-”

“-Why don’t we just have a study group tonight?” Makoto jumped in desperate to keep the peace. 

Hiro couldn’t help but grin when he saw Makoto’s instincts to help take over. It was just one of the reasons Makoto was one of his favorite classmates, the dude was genuinely well-intentioned, chill, and was the kind of person everybody just liked. Heck, Hiro could remember multiple times he’d snuck clients into the dorms for his admittedly overpriced readings, and Makoto saw, and didn’t say a word. He’d offered Makoto a discounted reading after that, though he’d politely declined. It was hard to find a single person in the class who really disliked him, even Byakuya, who seemed to hate everybody. 

Leon groaned, and muttered about his Friday being trashed by a study group, and Hiro felt a bit bad. Leon’s grades were fine, and besides, he was a kid. Well, he was only a few years younger than Hiro, but it was enough so that Hiro felt a bit like an older (albeit even more irresponsible) brother to Leon at times. Sometimes though, he felt a bit out of place among the other students due to his age. After all, he was the only one who could legally drink. 

Also, he had to admit he wasn’t the best academically. He wasn’t stupid, but he had some catch up to do, considering he’d put everything off until the last minute, instead focusing on earning money through readings. He’d reasoned with himself that he was saving up for when he graduated, but he hadn’t really thought of the whole “actually making sure you graduate” thing. Maybe Taka had a point. Hiro agreed to study, but he’d insisted it wasn’t a group thing, and that he could do it on his own. 

“Dude, I was being overdramatic,” Leon said. “I’d be fine with staying with you.”

“Nah, dude. As the ultimate clairvoyant, I can see that there will be, uh, bad stuff that’ll happen if you stay. You’ve been meaning to bug Sayaka about teaching you some more music stuff, why don’t you ask her tonight, now that we’re not hanging out?” 

“You sure?”

“Totally, I’m telling you, bad stuff will happen, man.” Hiro gave Leon his best serious face, which caused Leon to roll his eyes with a grin. 

“Sure, man.” Leon scanned the hallway, until his eyes landed on Sayaka, who was talking with Junko. Leon grinned and raced over to where the two girls were standing, leaving the remaining three boys in the dust. 

“Well,” Taka started. “I will have to cancel my plans with Mondo, Sakura, and Hina, but it will be worth it for-”

“-Taka, dude. C’mon. You can’t just ditch them for something as mundane as studying. I predict… if you do, you’ll grow a second head, and you’ll both have to compete for Mondo’s attention all the time, and he’ll break up with you for the other head-”

Taka’s features contorted with confusion, and Makoto looked profoundly freaked out. “-Hiro, I’m afraid I don’t understand exactly what point you are trying to make,” the hall monitor said. 

“I think he’s saying you shouldn’t cancel your plans,” Makoto said. “I’m not doing anything tonight, and I promise I’ll swing by Hiro’s dorm to help him study. You’re always helping everyone with study stuff anyway. You should enjoy the night!”

“I could not possibly-”

“-Or, you could stay and possibly get two heads like Hiro predicted. I’d rather go on a double date than get a second head.” Makoto smiled a mischievous smile. 

“I will drop off textbooks and notes with sections I will highlight for further review before I leave tonight!” Taka stood up straight and turned towards Hiro with surprising ferocity. “Tomorrow, however, I insist on studying with you Hagakure!” 

Hiro could only nod and mourn his now wasted Saturday as Taka’s eyes suddenly were drawn to a lower classman sprinting across the halls to get to class. Hiro could only wince in sympathy as Taka stomped after them, detention slips in hand. 

“Guess I’ll see you tonight, Hiro! You can get started without me, I’ll be a bit late. I have some stuff to do!” Makoto grinned and split off from Hiro, before Hiro could question exactly what said “stuff” was. 

Now here he was, waiting for Makoto, the door was unlocked for him to walk in at any time. He stared blankly at the comically large pile of notes and textbooks Taka had dropped off for him. He’d even started to give specific instructions on how Hiro should approach each set of materials, before Hina had gotten so impatient, she’d dragged him out of the room. At least, Hiro thought, this gigantic mountain of schoolwork was Taka’s way of showing he cared. He would’ve preferred cash, but it’s the thought that counts. 

Hiro casually laid out his cards, quickly scanning them. 77. Huh, he thought. There’s a missing card. Studying abandoned, he began to inspect the deck. The three of swords was missing, and Hiro couldn’t help but feel a slight chill. That card tended to bring bad news. Heartache and loss is what tended to be associated with that card.

Hiro tried his best to shake off the feeling. After all, he’d been wrong dozens (way more than dozens actually) of times. He’d probably just misplaced the card somewhere, once he’d dropped a card in the courtyard of the school and it had taken over an hour for him (and a search party involving Leon, Makoto, Mondo, and Chihiro) to find it. 

He flipped over the first card, six of wands upright. Hiro could feel a bit of his confidence coming back, as this could mean success in his studies, as progress was one of the main things this card predicted. Maybe, tonight’s boring study session was fate. 

Hiro moved to flip a second card, the three of cups, upright again. A celebration of friendship. Maybe this could be referring to the possibility of him and Makoto becoming official study bros, or whatever that meant. If Makoto would ever hurry up and get here. 

Hiro flipped over the last card, justice, upright. Once again, another good prediction, justice and fairness. That meant something, right? Hiro tried to convince himself that it was true, that his predictions were right, but he couldn’t shake the feeling in his gut, that the deck itself was wrong. That the missing card was crucial somehow, and he could feel a vision at the back of his mind. Heartbreak and loss, three of swords. He touched his crystal ball, but then thought better of it. No use freaking himself out more. Hiro placed the remaining cards back into his jacket pocket, leaving the three drawn cards on the table. 

The door suddenly creaked open, and was abruptly shut and locked with a quiet click. Hiro sighed and rolled his eyes. 

“Dude, Makoto, it’s been forever where have-” Hiro paused when he saw the person standing in the room. They were wearing all black, with a mask that Hiro swore he recognized from somewhere. They picked up the crystal ball in their gloved hands. “Makoto?” Hiro asked, stepping closer. “Is this a kind of joke?” 

The person giggled, saying nothing. Hiro’s eyes widened in horror as the person lunged at him, and with a flash of silver, he felt a blinding pain in his gut, and a pain on the back of his head. 

Stunned, Hiro looked down at his stomach and saw the rivers of pink gushing from it. On the ground, there were fragments from where his crystal ball had once existed. Desperately, he clutched at his stomach, trying to keep the blood from pouring out. Hiro barely had enough time to cry out before the figure lunged at him again, clamping a hand over his mouth as they stabbed him, over and over again. Hiro fumbled desperately at the plastic mask, managing to rip off a white piece in the struggle, before the figure stabbed again, and he released with a cry. 

Hiro felt a blinding pain as the assailant finally ceased their attack, and merely watched with a tilted head, like they were studying him, as he fell weakly to the ground. He tried to speak, to scream, but all he could do was cough up blood. His vision began to fade as the assailant began to leave the room, crushing the piece of mask under their foot as they did. They turned around towards him again, as if to take in the anguish in his features, and he got another look at the mask. The stranger, once they’d seen enough of his writhing, left, leaving the door open just a hair. Just enough for Hiro to know he had no hope of shoving it open in his state. Hiro couldn’t hear anyone else nearby. No one was coming to save him. 

Hiro’s mind began to race, and he suddenly remembered where he’d seen that mask. His heart began to slow as more blood poured from his wounds. Hiro felt himself slipping away. Not like this, he thought. He had to warn the others somehow, he had to let them know it wasn’t safe. Makoto was on his way here, maybe they’d already gotten him… no, he couldn’t spend his last moments thinking like that. He held his stomach and inched determinedly towards his desk, and he barely managed to grab the justice card before collapsing. His fingers shook as he dipped into his own blood, and began to draw shakily on the card. 

Hopefully, this would be enough. Hopefully, this would… he felt his hands going slack, a coldness beginning to overtake him. The card slipped from his hands, but he was too weak to feel for it with his limp, nearly lifeless hands. He faintly heard the door open, and Makoto’s voice, but it was like it was muffled by a dozen cotton balls. 

“Hiro! Hiro, oh my god!” Makoto ran over to Hiro, and dropped to his knees beside him. 

Hiro tried to open his mouth to speak, but Makoto’s voice was getting further away, and he was fading from view. The justice card had his message, but it was lost, and Hiro couldn’t get the words out to tell Makoto. He couldn’t even see Makoto anymore. He could only see a bright light now, and he faintly heard the echoes of Makoto’s voice, which were fading into cries. 

Hiro’s eyes began to closeas his life force ebbed away, his lifeblood falling into Makoto’s hands. As his eyes shut for good, Hiro realized: the cards were wrong, but he’d been right. The one card he’d known was the right one all along, but he hadn’t wanted to believe it because of what it stood for. 

Heartbreak and loss. 

Three of swords. 

  
  



	2. Day 1-Investigation (Phoenix)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phoenix Wright is called upon to defend Makoto, and he gets his first taste of the mysteries and people that inhabit Hope's Peak Academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS WAS AN ENDEAVOR! Sorry, this chapter just took forever to do, it was way longer that I'd anticipated, but I wanted to be thourough, and give the investigation phases their proper due. I apologize for the length, but hopefully it's a good read! Thank you guys so much for the kudos and comments, they really mean a lot to me!

April 30th, 9:00 AM

Wright & Co. Law Offices

“Hurry, up Nick!” Maya called from the main room of the office, where she and Pearl were eagerly sitting in front of the TV. “It’s starting any minute now! And you better bring out the popcorn, too! Nevermind that it’s too early in the morning stuff you were saying!”

“Yay, Usami!” Pearl cheered, holding the wooden figurine Maya had received, bearing the rabbit’s likeness. Phoenix rolled his eyes at Maya’s remark, yet he still grabbed the bowl of popcorn he’d made before heading out to the main room. Ever since _Steel Samurai_ had gone on a hiatus, the show _Warriors of Hope vs. Despair_ was all Pearl and Maya could talk about. They’d even recorded the new episode to watch today, since Pearl had stubbornly insisted that watching the episode live would cause her to stay up too late, and Maya had pouted, but agreed. Phoenix himself wasn’t a huge fan, but these types of shows were meant for kids, though he had to admit the show got a bit dark sometimes. Maybe that’s why it had such a mass appeal. He found himself wondering if Edgeworth would like the show, but before he could dwell on Edgeworth’s surprisingly childish taste in shows, Maya stormed over and pulled him over to where her and Pearl were sitting. 

“Nick, you’re taking forever,” she complained through mouthfuls of popcorn, as Phoenix sighed and sat between her and Pearl.

“Mystic Maya, Mr. Nick, Usami is going to win in the end, right?” Pearl’s eyes filled with a precocious sadness. “Her magic stick was broken by Monokuma, and after he said all that stuff about despair being stronger than hope, and he defeated Usami’s hope warriors, can she still win?” Pearl’s lip quivered. “Monokuma is scary, Mr. Nick!” 

Phoenix was about to open his mouth to reply, to tell Pearl that of course Usami would win, because good always overpowers evil in the end (not to mention it was a kid’s show at the end of the day), but a pounding at the door interrupted his thoughts. 

“Screw this, he’s either here or he’s not,” A frustrated voice grumbled from outside. Maya perked up from the popcorn bowl, as if the voice was familiar to her. Phoenix swore he could hear more voices outside the door, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying. Right as he was about to get up and investigate, the door was thrown open by an angry looking boy with several piercings, striking red hair, and an overall look that Phoenix could only describe as “punk rock”. Behind him there were two girls, a rather apologetic looking blue-haired girl in a school uniform, and a stone-faced, white haired girl wearing gloves and a lavender tie. Both of the girls seemed familiar to him, and he suddenly realized where he’d seen the bluenette. 

“Sayaka Maizono?! The pop star?” Phoenix was incredulous. Why would a pop sensation come here, and not to mention, he suddenly realized how messy the office looked, with popcorn crumbs littering the floor and papers scattered everywhere. 

Maya’s face lit up into a huge grin, and she rushed towards the three. “Kyoko, Sayaka, Leon! It’s great to see you guys!” Maya grinned and hugged Sayaka, who managed a small smile. “Nick is a huge fan of yours! Oh, and my cousin Pearly really likes you as well!”

Phoenix suddenly remembered the names, and he glanced down at Pearl, who was still clutching the Usami figurine, but was now gawking at Sayaka with stars in her eyes. Maya had mentioned these names before, shortly after the case with Maggey Byrde and Furio Tigre. She’d somehow snuck into their school and done a channeling for them, and gotten the figurine somehow… the details largely evaded him. He mostly remembered being in shock that Maya had met all these kids, and disappointed when she’d only presented him with an empty donut box, but Pearl got the wooden Usami figurine. 

“We didn’t come here to talk, damnit!” Leon’s voice cut through the reunion. 

Maya separated from Sayaka with a frown. Upon hearing the distress in Leon’s voice, Phoenix could see it in their faces: despair. He’d been too caught up in a celebrity (with very catchy music) in his office to really see their expressions. Leon had of course been furious, but now Phoenix could see his eyes were bloodshot and rubbed raw, his hair was askew and clothes were wrinkled. Sayaka looked put-together, but her smile had an undeniable hint of sadness. Kyoko, who Phoenix remembered from a few previous investigations now, had an unreadable expression, but it was clear she wasn’t happy. 

“Leon, they probably don’t know.” Sayaka’s voice was gentle, but sad. “I wish we could’ve met again under happier circumstances.” She turned to Phoenix and Pearl, who were standing a few feet away, unsure of what to say. “It is nice to meet fans, though. I appreciate your faith in my talent.” 

Pearl smiled at Sayaka. “I think you’re pretty! And your dresses are so cute! I didn’t know a lot about pop mu-sic until Mystic Maya and Mr. Nick showed me!” Sayaka managed another smile, and thanked Pearl, who glowed with adoration. She must be good at putting on happy faces, Phoenix thought glumly. Kyoko and Leon clearly were not. 

Kyoko walked wordlessly over to the TV and switched the channel over to the nearest news outlet. The TV showed a reporter standing outside what looked to be a rather preppy looking school. 

“Hey,” Maya said. “Isn’t that-”

The newscaster cut her off. 

“Breaking News! This just in, a murder has taken place in the once prestigious Hope’s Peak Academy! A member of the graduating 78th class, Yasuhiro Hagakure, the Ultimate Clairvoyant, was found dead in his room last night, and now a suspect has been officially placed in custody. Police have fellow classmate, Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Lucky Student, placed under arrest due to evidence and witness accounts placing him at the scene. He is now being held in the detention center at Criminal Affairs. Well, let me just say that Mr. Naegi is far from lucky-”

Leon turned the TV in a huff. “I can’t listen to that stuff much longer.” His voice cracked, and Sayaka placed a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off. 

“We need your help.” Kyoko faced Phoenix, her eyes bearing into him. “Makoto needs a defense lawyer, and no one will take his case. Everyone thinks he did it. I know there has to be more to it, and I’ve read about you, how you’ve won impossible cases.” Kyoko’s arms crossed, and her eyebrows furrowed. “Surely, you could pull off one more, correct?”

“Please, I know Makoto,” Sayaka’s pleading voice cut in, and her deep blue eyes misted over with tears. “He wouldn’t do something like this. I feel like everyone is giving up on him, but I can’t lose hope on him like that! You’ve got to help us, Mr. Wright!”

Before Phoenix could even get a word out, Maya cut in. “Of course we’ll help! We’re friends! I’ll make Nick take the case, even if it kills him! Besides, I’ve met Makoto… once. He didn’t seem like a murderer to me!” 

“Hey, Maya, take it easy!” Phoenix sighed, it didn’t seem like he really had a choice in this. It wasn’t like he would’ve refused anyway. Sayaka’s genuine belief in Makoto had reminded him of another case. He’d remembered when he defended Edgeworth, everyone else had written him off as a lost cause, but Phoenix refused to give up, even when Edgeworth himself had. There’s no way he’d let someone else suffer like that. He hadn’t given up, and thanks to that, Edgeworth was a free man. Free to mutter “Wright,” at him in a disapproving tone whenever he did something rash, or smile one of those rare smiles that made his heart skip a few beats. “I’ll take your case. If all three of you really believe in Makoto-” 

“I don’t know what to believe.” Leon clenched his fists and looked down at the floor. “I don’t f-” He glanced at Pearl and quickly stopped. “I just don’t know. All I know is that Kyoko said you’d help uncover the truth. I need to know who killed Hiro. That’s it.”

“I don’t know either.” Kyoko adjusted her gloves. “I just wanted to make sure Makoto has a good lawyer, one that I knew would defend him. He deserves that much, at least.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll defend Makoto, and avenge Hiro,” Maya swelled with determination. “Let’s go to the detention center!” Maya strode affirmatively out the door, taking Kyoko by the arm, the detective clearly not as openly enthused. 

“Can I walk with you?” Pearl smiled her cutest smile at Sayaka, and the popstar nodded. “Of course you can!” The two left hand in hand, Pearl grinning, clearly the least affected by this whole affair. Sayaka, to her credit, seemed genuinely charmed by the little medium. 

Phoenix sighed, already he was being ditched, and now it was just him and Leon, the latter clearly not up for conversation. Still, Phoenix felt bad. He’d seen this type of pain before. 

“We’ll find the truth,” he offered. “I promise.” 

Leon didn’t respond, silently storming out of the office. Phoenix shook his head, and brushed off the encounter. He’d talk later, he reasoned. Phoenix felt around in his pockets. Badge, check. Magatama, check. Alright, he thought. Let’s do this. 

*****************************************************************************

April 30th, 10:00 AM

Detention Center, Visitor’s Room

Well, at least I know nothing’s really changed around here, Phoenix thought. The detention center was the same drab grey, with the transparent window separating the detainee from their visitors. What had surprised him however, was that Makoto was already talking to a visitor. A small girl wearing a green jacket and a brown skirt was talking quietly to Makoto, while anxiously typing into a laptop she was holding. 

“Chihiro, what are you doing here?” Kyoko said, and the girl practically leapt out of her chair in shock. 

“Oh, Kyoko!” The girl turned around to face the group, and she looked rather startled when she saw Phoenix, and her eyes darted around to the rest of the group, taking a mental tally of who all was there. “Sorry, I was just making sure Makoto had some company. We’re trying to make it so that he’s never alone, someone will always be visiting him!” The girl tried to offer a smile, but it was clear she was too upset, her eyes were still wet with tears. 

“That’s really sweet, Chihiro.” Sayaka smiled back, and offered a hug to the smaller girl, who managed a sniffle before hugging her back. “You already know Maya, but let me introduce Pearl, Maya’s cousin,” she gestured to Pearl, who waved politely. “And this is Phoenix Wright, he’s going to be representing Makoto in court.” Sayaka nodded towards Phoenix, who showed Chihiro his badge, as if to reaffirm what Sayaka said. 

Phoenix extended a hand to Chihiro. “It’s nice to meet you, Chihiro, right?” 

“Y-yes. I’m Chihiro Fujisaki, the ultimate programmer. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Wright,” Chihiro shook Phoenix’s hand with a surprisingly impressive grip. “Thank you for helping us… hopefully this will all just be a huge mistake…” Chihiro looked sadly at the floor. “I guess I’ll head back to the school now, and tell the class about this. I-it was nice to see you again, Maya.” 

“It’s nice to see you too, Chihiro! I just wish I’d be introducing you to Nick and Pearls under different circumstances.”

“Pro-gram-mer?” Pearl asked. “What’s that?”

“Oh, it involves me designing computer software to perform certain tasks-” Chihiro stopped, noting both the impatient expressions of Leon and Kyoko, and the utter confusion on Pearl’s face. “-I’ll explain later.” 

With that remark, Chihiro ran off towards the exit, leaving the group to face Makoto. The boy wore a brown hoodie, his brown hair seemed almost like it was sadly wilting on his head, but his green eyes still sparked with a hope Phoenix usually didn’t see in his clients. 

“Makoto, I’ve brought your lawyer.” At the sound of Kyoko’s voice, Makoto perked up. Phoenix raised an eyebrow as Kyoko’s expression almost seemed lighter upon seeing the look of renewed optimism on Makoto’s face. 

“I knew I could count on you! You believe in me, right?” Makoto smiled at Kyoko, but she didn’t smile back, her expression resetting to a stony gaze. 

“I don’t know what I believe, Makoto. I’m a detective. I’ll decide what I believe when I investigate the crime scene myself. I’ve gotten permission by the prosecution to aid them. I merely accompanied Mr. Wright, along with Leon and Sayaka, who insisted on coming-” Sayaka gave Kyoko an almost sympathetic look, while Leon scowled and looked at the floor. “-to visit you just to make sure he took this case. I have to go now. Goodbye.” Kyoko turned and left the room, and Phoenix was stunned at her surprising coldness. Maya looked stunned as well. He’d gotten the sense that Kyoko cared about Makoto. Was he wrong? He couldn’t help but feel bad when he saw Makoto visibly deflate at her remarks, but he still nodded. 

“I-I understand,” he called out, but she’d already left. 

Makoto turned to face Phoenix. “Thank you, for helping me. I’m Makoto Naegi, the ultimate lucky student.” 

“You don’t seem very lucky,” Pearl blurted out. Makoto managed a small chuckle. “Yeah, I get that a lot.”

“Leon, Sayaka, why’d you guys come? I totally appreciate it but-”

“-I didn’t come for you.” Leon glared, and Makoto’s face fell again. “I came because Kyoko said that Mr. Wright would find the truth behind Hiro’s death. Even if that truth is that you killed him. I just need to know.” Leon’s glare softened, but he still didn’t meet Makoto’s gaze. 

Sakaya, on the other hand, looked clearly at Makoto. “I believe in you, Makoto. We’ve been friends even before Hope’s Peak. I’m here because I want to help prove your innocence!” Her eyebrows furrowed, her body language flared with righteousness. Makoto perked up again, clearly relieved that someone had faith in him. 

Phoenix coughed awkwardly, and the three broke from their conversation. Phoenix got out his attorney’s badge and showed it to Makoto. “I’m Phoenix Wright, and I’m a defense attorney. I’m here to help you. These are my assistants, Maya, who you already know, and this is her little cousin Pearl.” 

Maya grinned and waved at Makoto, who awkwardly waved back. Pearl merely nodded at him, and Makoto returned the gesture with a small smile. “I-I actually know all about you, Mr. Wright. Kyoko told me about you. I’ve been thinking about a career involving the law, actually. She thought that I’d be a good fit for your company too-” He laughed a little bit, but his expression was sad. “I guess that didn’t really work out, huh?”

Maya snapped her fingers. “Oh yeah! Kyoko had been talking to me about-”

“Maya, we’ll talk about it later. I have to ask Makoto some questions.” Phoenix gripped the magatama in his jacket pocket. 

Sakaya raised an eyebrow. “What do you have in your pocket, Mr. Wright?”

“It’s a magatama!” Pearl beamed at Sayaka, not even letting Phoenix answer. “It’s filled with spiritual power, and it helps to see lies.” 

“Woah, seriously?” Leon jumped up. “We could solve the whole case with that thing, then!” 

“No,” Maya shook her head. “It merely exposes a person’s psyche-locks, which shows they are hiding something. We don’t know what they are hiding until we unlock them, and there is no guarantee it has to do with the case. A-and there have been times people have fooled the magatama…”

Maya trailed off, seeing the excitement fade from Leon’s eyes as he frustratedly sat back down. Maya’s speech made Phoenix remember Engarde. He’d fooled the magatama, he just hoped that Makoto wouldn’t prove to be a similar person. He seemed nice enough, but then again, so had Matt Engarde. 

“It is still going to be helpful, I’m sure,” Makoto offered hopefully. 

“Makoto,” Phoenix started in a serious tone as he gripped the magatama. Everyone’s eyes locked onto Makoto, who shrank back from the accusatory stares. “Did you kill Yasuhiro Hagakure?” 

“No! I would never do that!” 

Phoenix breathed a sigh of relief as no psyche-locks appeared. That meant he was most likely innocent, and everyone else took note of Phoenix’s relieved expression. Maya and Pearl grinned at each other as Sayaka’s face lit up, and even Leon looked a bit relieved, before seemingly remembering the drawbacks of the magatama and reverting back to his closed-off stance. 

“I believe you,” Phoenix said as he put the magatama away. “I’ll start by asking you this. What happened leading up to the murder?”

Makoto’s face grew clouded with thought. “Well, Hiro had been forced to study for the evening, because the beginning of our final exams are coming up. He kinda slacked off with studying, and he was worried about not graduating, and one of our other friends made him study. He was going to be spending the evening in his dorm studying, and I had something to do, but was going to be free later, so I offered to come by and help him. But when I got there… I found him bleeding out, trying to inch himself towards the door… choking on his own blood…” 

Makoto trailed off as his expression sank, and he gazed remorsefully at the floor. Sayaka’s shoulders slumped as well, and Leon’s expression went from angry to pained. Phoenix felt his own expression morphing into one of pity. “That must’ve been awful,” was all he managed to say. “What did you do when you saw him?” 

“I-I tried to stop the bleeding, but he’d lost too much blood. He was already dying when I got there, but I’d gotten his blood all over me. I’d seen a knife in the corner, and after he died, and I went to investigate, but that’s when I was found, and I know how bad it looked.” Makoto looked at Leon and Sayaka. “I swear, that’s my story.” 

Makoto continued. “I’d gotten to his room at 9:45, because the thing I was supposed to go didn’t end up happening, and I was waiting for a while-” 

“What’s the thing?” Maya asked with a cheeky smile.

“O-Oh, it isn’t important! It has nothing to do with this, anyway.” Makoto asserted, but Phoenix gripped his magatama out of instinct, and sure enough, a single red psyche-lock flew into place. Maya’s smile vanished as she saw Phoenix’s skeptical expression as he gripped the magatama. 

“He has a psyche-lock?” Maya bit her lip. “Maybe it has nothing to do with the case?”

“Are you freaking kidding me, Makoto?!” Leon stood up in a rage. “You’re hiding sh-stuff now?! You’re the prime suspect, and you’ve got the balls to lie to us, and even your freaking defense attorney?! Whatever you’re hiding, spill it!” He turned and punched the wall, and everyone else jumped back, startled. Phoenix couldn’t help but agree a bit with Leon’s sentiment. Makoto shouldn’t have anything to hide if his activity had nothing to do with the case, right? 

Makoto just shook his head. “You have to believe me, it has nothing to do with the case… oh, the guard is calling me back for more questioning. Thank you for taking my case again, Mr. Wright, Maya, and Pearl.” 

With the tension from Leon’s blowout and Makoto’s lie still hanging in the air, Makoto got up and left. Phoenix sighed. This was going to be harder, now that he knew that Makoto was hiding something, he couldn’t piece together Makoto’s whole alibi if he wouldn’t even tell him. Maybe this was the reason almost no one believed him. 

“Um, you’re still going to help him, right? I’m sure he’s right about his activity having nothing to do with the case. I trust him.” Sayaka turned towards Phoenix with an affirmative look on her face. “Please, don’t give up on him, Mr. Wright.”

“Of course not! I’m a lawyer, and he’s my client!” 

“We’ll totally defend him!” Pearl and Maya chorused at the same time, and Sayaka smiled appreciatively. 

“Thank you all so much!” 

Leon rolled his eyes. “Whatever, let’s just go. It’s about time we get to the actual crime scene. Sayaka and I will take you to Hope’s Peak.” 

The pop star nodded, and the group filed out of the detention center. “Hope you guys are ready to meet the rest of our class,” Leon said with an exasperated expression. “Some of them can be… difficult.” 

“Everyone I met was great!” Maya said. 

“You didn’t meet everyone else, though.” Leon stated with an eye roll. “Some of them can be a pain in the-” Once again, he quickly remembered Pearl’s presence and stopped. “Just stay on your guard, okay?”

Phoenix nodded, but he couldn’t help but feel nervous due to Leon’s last remark. They’re all high school students, right? And wouldn’t they all be friends, considering they’re all in the same class? As Phoenix left the detention center, he wondered just what kinds of students roamed under the prestigious halls of Hope’s Peak. 

****************************************************************

April 30th, 11:00 AM

Hope’s Peak Academy-Main Gate

The first thing Phoenix thought when he saw Hope’s Peak in person was: wow, this place is huge. The tall, iron gate to the school opened up to an impressive structure of several tall buildings, each seemed expensive, as if to emphasize that the best of the best attended this school. The black and white school crest caught Phoenix’s eye right away as well. 

“Welcome to hell,” Leon deadpanned. 

“It’s so cool! It doesn’t look bad to me,” Pearl said. 

“You haven’t gone to school yet, have you?” Leon remarked. 

“Nope!” Pearl beamed. 

“Lucky.” 

Phoenix thought of his own high school, it wasn’t nearly as fancy as this school. At least he wasn’t alone in thinking that school could be a bit of a drag. He’d spent all that time attached to Larry, which in hindsight, hadn’t done him a lot of favors. Sayaka and Leon began to direct Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl to the dorms, when a very tired-looking man in a suit ran up to them. 

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Only Hope’s Peak students, faculty, and law officials are allowed in the building-oh, your badge. Are you-” he paused to catch his breath. “Are you representing Mr. Naegi?” 

Phoenix nodded and offered a handshake. “I’m Phoenix Wright, and these are my assistants, Maya and Pearl.”

The man shook his hand. “I’m headmaster Kirigiri. I’m sorry I’m in such a state, this is just unprecedented. It’s quite a tragedy. You know, Mr. Wright, my daughter has talked about you before.”

“Who’s your daughter?”

“Oh, her name is Kyoko. She’s the ultimate detective.” 

“Oh!” Maya jumped up. “I know her! I had no idea her Dad was the headmaster!” 

The headmaster’s expression fell slightly. “She doesn’t like to talk about me much, though she is rather secretive regardless. I’m surprised she even mentioned you to me. She talked about how your offices would be a good fit for… well, it doesn’t matter now, does it? Considering what he’s done.” 

Phoenix raised an eyebrow. “You believe it was Makoto?” 

“The evidence is pretty damning, yes. I liked Mr. Naegi too, he was a good student, and- nevermind.” Phoenix could see the psyche-locks around the headmaster, but he decided not to press it. He’d realized that those probably had a lot more to do with Kyoko than they did with Makoto, and some things weren’t meant to be scrutinized. 

“Is there anything about the school I should know? Anything involving what could’ve happened last night?” 

“I’ll give you the same statement I gave the prosecutors. There are cameras on campus and in the hallways to make sure students follow the rules. They aren’t allowed to bring in any outside visitors without getting my permission first-” Phoenix had to suppress an eye roll as he saw Maya’s guilty expression, along with Leon and Sayaka conveniently choosing this time to start looking absentmindedly at the sky. “-Of course, there aren’t cameras in their rooms. There is a curfew where all students must be inside the school by 10 PM, as that’s when the gates close. They reopen at 7 AM. Their rooms are usually only accessible to them through a student handbook.” Headmaster Kirigiri quickly procured a tiny notepad from his suit jacket and began to write furiously. “Now you have it in writing. I’m sorry I can’t talk more, but I have a school to manage.” With a sigh, the tired headmaster walked off. Phoenix immediately sympathized with him, it looked like he hadn’t slept a wink since the incident went down. 

“Handbooks?” Pearl looked confused. 

“Yeah, see?” Sayaka took out a small, black booklet from the pocket of her uniform’s blazer, and showed the group. Phoenix could see a place where it could be scanned, along with Sayaka’s basic student info. Leon got his out too, and it showed the same thing. As they walked to the dorms, Phoenix took note of the handbooks and the headmaster’s statement. Odds are, he’d need those later on. 

*********************************************************

April 30th, 11:20 AM

Dormitory Hallway

When the group arrived at the dorms, Phoenix immediately felt a sudden discomfort as multiple pairs of eyes landed on him. He could feel himself starting to get nervous, what could he say to these kids. Hi, I’m Phoenix Wright, and I’m defending the classmate you all suspect of murder just didn’t seem like it would make a good first impression. Pearl seemed overwhelmed as well, and scooted closer to Sayaka, who placed a reassuring hand on Pearl’s shoulder. Maya, on the other hand, had no such discomfort, in fact, running up to a ponytailed girl wearing a red sports jacket. 

“Hina! Hina!” Maya ran towards the girl, who’s weary-looking face managed to twist into a grin. 

“Maya,” the girl, presumably Hina, said as she opened her arms in greeting. The two girls hugged, and Hina snapped her fingers. “Wait right here, I’ve got something.” 

Hina ran like a bat out of hell back to her dorm room, and came back with a box full of donuts. Phoenix’s stomach rumbled, and he mournfully remembered the popcorn he’d never gotten to eat. 

“Donuts!” Maya licked her lips. “You’re the best, Hina! You and I, we think alike.”

“Yeah,” Hina’s shoulders slumped, and her ponytail almost seemed to droop. “Ever since this whole Hiro thing, and Makoto probably being guilty, I’ve been stress eating. Luckily, Sakura got me these donuts on her way to visit Makoto. She’s really the best!” Hina opened the box. “You guys should totally have some! Chihiro said you guys are here to defend Makoto, and that’s really cool of you… even if he’s guilty. He was a really nice guy, so I guess he should at least get a lawyer, but then again, Hiro didn’t deserve to die! I’m just so torn!” 

Maya nodded and took a donut. “I totally get it,” she said in between bites, “You want to believe your friend, but it just looks really bad, and there’s the chance that he did do it-”

Phoenix sighed. Maya, he thought exasperatedly, aren’t we supposed to be defending Makoto? Either way, Phoenix couldn’t help but eye the alluring box of donuts. He was hungry. 

“Hey, Mr. Spiky Hair!” Hina turned towards him and offered the box. “I know you want one! I know the gleam in a person’s eye when they see the glazed perfection of a donut! And, uh, Chihiro said who you were, but I forgot your name.” She laughed apologetically. “Sorry.”

“My name is-”

“Phoenix Wright.” A cold voice interrupted their conversation, and a boy in a green suit and glasses strode up behind them. 

Hina’s smile disappeared, and she rolled her eyes. “What do you want, Byakuya?” 

“Simple, I just wanted to meet Mr. Wright here.” His expression was neutral, but there was an undeniable hint of smugness to his voice that Phoenix instantly disliked. He was also suddenly aware that the eyes of the rest of the students in the hallway had just locked into them. “I’m Byakuya Togami, the ultimate affluent progeny,” he began. 

“I just wanted to ask Mr. Wright here to grant me a quick favor. I’ll make sure the Togami Corporation awards him handsomely if he complies.” Byakuya turned towards Phoenix, and scanned Phoenix with a gaze that screamed: I’m above you. “Give up. Makoto is obviously implicated in this crime, and quite frankly, all this silly investigation is doing is delaying my graduation and ascension to the head of my family’s empire. I don’t have time for you to fight your losing battle in court, and quite frankly, if sacrificing Makoto is what it takes for my future, then so be it.” 

Phoenix was taken aback by the sheer nerve of this kid, to throw his classmate under the bus so easily, and for what? A smooth graduation? The others in the room were muttering amongst themselves, several glared at Byakuya, but none of them spoke, waiting for Phoenix to reply. Before Phoenix could tell him what for, Pearl of all people, finally piped up.

“No way, you jerk! Mr. Nick would never do that! It’s wrong, and mean! You’re mean!”

“I’m practical. I’m not a naive child like you are, and I don’t believe in unwinnable cases, and it’s not like I care for a tale of vengeance either. Hagakure was nothing but an annoyance to me. His death shouldn’t affect how we move forward-”

“-How the hell can you say that? Hiro was our friend! Hell, Makoto is still our friend!” Leon’s fists clenched, and he glared at Byakuya. 

Byakuya smiled wryly at Leon’s last remark. “If Makoto is still your friend, then why do you believe he’s guilty? Why do all of you? The only one who doesn’t is Maizono, and she will soon enough.” 

Leon’s fight vanished, and he pursed his lips, unable to come up with a retort. Phoenix raised an eyebrow. The way Byakuya had emphasized Makoto’s guilt, yet he’d never actually said what he believed. 

“I won’t do it, Byakuya. I fight for my clients no matter what. However, I noticed that you never said you thought Makoto was guilty. Do you have a reason to believe he’s innocent?”

For a brief moment, Byakuya’s smugness vanished, and he seemed to weigh his words before answering. “It doesn’t matter what I think, Mr. Wright. What matters is what needs to happen to guarantee my success, whether or not Makoto is there to see it. I’m disappointed you didn’t take my offer.” With that aloof sentiment, Byakuya turned and left. 

As soon as he left, Hina rolled her eyes. “I can’t stand him, ugh! Stuff like this makes me wonder why Makoto hangs around him at all.”

Phoenix raised an eyebrow. “Makoto and Byakuya are friends?”

Sayaka cut in. “Makoto is basically friends with everyone. He’s one of the only people that Byakuya tolerates. I guess if you can call that friendship, then yeah, they are friends. Part of the reason a lot of people are so upset about this is that they feel betrayed by Makoto. Everyone trusted him.” 

Phoenix only needed to see the expressions on Leon and Hina’s faces to affirm what Sayaka said. If anything, it made him believe in Makoto more. It takes a special kind of person to be patient enough to bond with all these rather… unique kids. Hina offered to help introduce Phoenix to the rest of the class, except for the previously mentioned Sakura, who Hina informed him was visiting Makoto. He couldn’t help but gawk as Hina showed him a picture of her and Sakura, as the latter was absolutely beyond muscular. It was fitting that she was the ultimate martial artist, and what made it all the more ironic, is that when Hina talked about her, she gushed about how Sakura was one of the sweetest, most gentle souls she’d met. Looks could be deceiving, Phoenix thought. 

Sayaka introduced him to the twins, Mukuro Ikusaba, who had freckles and short hair, wearing rather plain clothes, and Junko Enoshima who’s hair was blond and styled in pigtails, with a rather bold outfit, the ultimate soldier and the ultimate fashionista. Mukuro merely nodded at him, standing silently at her sister’s side like a sentinel. Junko, on the other hand, grinned wide and shook Maya’s hand, who returned the gesture with equal enthusiasm. Her eyes went wide with a manic delight as she saw Pearl’s Usami figurine, and she showed off the Monokuma hair clips she had, which made Pearl question why she liked the evil Monokuma so much. 

“He’s just so adorable with his bashful little face, and all that adorable despair stuff he says!” Junko giggled. “Besides, his cuteness helps me look cute and trendy too!” Junko winked and struck a pose. Mukuro was expressionless behind her, but eyed Phoenix warily. Maya did admit that she thought Junko looked cute. Phoenix decided he’d have to drag Maya away before she got distracted making more friends, especially considering Junko’s manic presence. 

Leon, wanting to get the introductions done as quickly as possible, introduced him to Celeste and Hifumi, the ultimate gambler and ultimate fanfic creator. Celeste wore a frilly, black dress and her hair was done up in elaborate drills, displaying a look of gothic grandeur. Hifumi, had a heavier build, and wore a regular shirt, orange, tie and jacket, and he adjusted his glasses quite frequently. Phoenix noticed that Celeste had a similarly smug air as Byakuya, and Hifumi seemed utterly servile to her. He seemed to wait for her cues to speak, and she even referred to him as an underling, which Phoenix was shocked to see him just accept with no pushback. 

“It has been nice meeting you Mr. Wright, now, my underling has to go and make me some milk tea. This ambiance of death that hangs over us is quite suffocating, no?” Celeste smiled mysteriously at Phoenix, and he felt an icy dread. She scared him for some reason, and he instantly felt bad for poor Hifumi, who ran as fast as his legs would take him to the kitchen, as the expecting click of Celeste’s heels chased him down the kitchen.

Finally, Hina, Leon, and Sayaka took the 3 members of Wright and Co. to Chihiro, who was busily typing in her computer, while a tall guy with a rather ridiculous haircut watched over her shoulder almost glaring at the computer. The tall guy looked up at the group, and his eyes widened when he saw Maya. 

“Maya? What are ya doin’ here?” He questioned. “You’re with the suit?”

“Mondo!” Maya grinned. “Yeah, this is Nick! I’m basically his assistant. Well, sometimes I like to think he’s my assistant.”

“Hey!” Phoenix protested, as Pearl giggled. The tall boy introduced himself as Mondo, the ultimate biker gang leader. He told Phoenix that Maya had channeled someone close to him, and that he could never repay her enough, even though Maya insisted that he didn’t owe her anything. He then pointed out that he’d made the Usami figurine that Pearl coveted, and Phoenix had to admit he was impressed. Chihiro, meanwhile, hadn’t looked up from her computer. 

“Hey, where’s Taka?” Leon asked. 

Mondo frowned. “He went off with that prosecutor guy. Supposedly, he’s testifyin’ or something. I wanted to go with him, but that guy insisted he brief Taka alone.” He crossed his arms. “He better not upset him or nothin’.” 

Phoenix’s eyes widened. “The prosecutor? Was he by chance, wearing red?”

“Yes, he was,” Chihiro piped up from her typing. Of course. Of course it just had to be _him._ No matter what, they always seemed destined to face off against each other. Before Phoenix could think of what to say to Edgeworth, a voice from Chihiro’s computer rang out.

“Master, I’ve finished the task you’ve given me!” A small face, a miniature of Chihiro, lit up the computer with a sweet smile. 

“Woah!” Pearl raced over to the computer and got close to the screen. “It’s you!”

“Yeah, it’s a copy of me. Meet, Alter Ego!” Chihiro smiled as Pearl oohed and aahed, gazing at a piece of technology she’d never been exposed to before. “Alter Ego is an artificial intelligence program, which means it has the capacity to learn and grow like a human. Alter Ego can even emote like a human, and truly feel!” Chihiro blushed before adding, “I’m really proud of it.” 

“You should be!” Maya said. “That’s amazing!” 

Phoenix nodded. “I’m impressed! What did you ask it to do?” 

“I asked it to make a layout map of the dorms of Hope’s Peak. It is going to provide who’s dorm is where, along with camera placements and possible blind spots. I also got Alter Ego to print out copies of an overall layout map of Hope’s Peak!” 

“Can I have that?” Phoenix asked. 

“Oh! I originally did it because Kyoko asked me if I could get a copy for her and that detective guy who’s been calling everyone pal. I can print you one too!” Chihiro typed rapidly into the computer, and Alter Ego smiled before fading to a screen with a loading taskbar. “It will take a minute, but I’ll be sure to find you guys as soon as it prints and give you some copies!”

“Oh!” Pearl exclaimed. “I’ll stay with Chihiro to help with the copies, and to learn more about Alter Eg-go! Chihiro’s so smart, and she’s super cool, just like Sayaka!”

“Oh, um-” Chihiro looked as if she wanted to say something, but then bit it back. Phoenix couldn’t help but notice that Chihiro winced slightly when Pearl had said “She”. Chihiro quickly reverted back to a smile. “Of course you can stay! I’d love to explain Alter Ego to anyone who wants to hear! Ehehehe!” 

Pearl beamed and scooted closer to Chihiro, who smiled at the attention, clearly being charmed by Pearl as well. Phoenix cracked a small smile. That was two students that Pearl had already managed to win over effortlessly. Judging by the fact that Pearl was now showing off the Usami figurine and thanking Mondo, who grinned at the affirmation, Phoenix knew that those numbers would only go up. Both Pearl and Maya seemed to be adored by most of the students. So this is what it feels like to be a third wheel to your own assistants Phoenix, he thought. 

Hina had since run off with a buzz of her phone, supposedly to meet Sakura at the detention center to swap places visiting Makoto. Now, it was just him, Leon, Sayaka, and Maya. “Hiro’s room is just up ahead. That’s where the actual investigation is happening.” Leon grimly gestured to a room that Phoenix could clearly see was outlined in caution tape. 

“Are you sure you’re able to go in there?” Phoenix asked Leon. 

“Yeah, I can handle it. I’m not a fucking baby.” Leon stared straight ahead. 

“Language!” Maya elbowed him. 

“Hey, I waited until Pearl was gone!” Leon protested, as they headed towards the room that had formerly belonged to the ultimate clairvoyant. Phoenix felt a mess of butterflies in his still empty stomach as they headed towards the room. He really should’ve taken that donut.

********************************************************************

April 30th, 12:15 PM

Yasuhiro’s Room

When the group got to Hiro’s room, Phoenix looked around. Besides the outline of a body drawn against the wall and the various blood stains on the floor, it looked semi normal. There were a stack of textbooks and notes that cluttered the desk, and a poster on the wall describing meanings behind palm lines. It seemed like the typical room for a clairvoyant, assuming he’d actually had that talent. Phoenix couldn’t help but be a bit skeptical. However, below that, a flyer caught his eye. It was a flyer that brought back a lot of memories. Recent memories, too. It was the all-too familiar Oh-Cult! Flyer with Sister Bikini and Iris on the cover, illustrating a potential for a getaway to Hazuraka Temple. What would Yasuhiro be doing with this? Phoenix picked up the flyer and raised an eyebrow. Before he could ask Leon or Sayaka about it, a thundering voice interrupted his thoughts. 

“Hey, don’t touch that, pal!” Detective Gumshoe, who Phoenix could now see had been with Kyoko on the other side of the room, came stomping over. The other, much calmer detective, followed him. “This room is a crime scene! That poster could be evidence!”

“From what I’ve gathered, Mr. Wright here has played an investigative role in the past. He’s probably used to it.” Kyoko seemed bemused by this. Huh, Phoenix thought. He wouldn’t have taken her to have a sense of humor. “I don’t see the problem. Every side should get a look at the evidence in order for us to arrive at the truth, even if the truth is ugly.” A brief flash of emotion danced across her face, but it was gone in an instant. Phoenix reasoned if he’d blinked, he’d have missed it entirely. “Now, I’m going back to the investigation.”

She turned and walked a few feet away, where she began to inspect around the outlined area of Yasuhiro’s body. Detective Gumshoe’s face fell. “I think she’s really upset about this, pal. I mean, I was upset about Maggey, so I understand.”

Leon raised an eyebrow. “How do you know she’s upset? Her expression hadn’t changed at all.”

“Well, she’s similar to Mr. Edgeworth. That’s my boss. When he gets upset, he kinda retreats into himself, y’know? She has that same look in her eye, that same kinda guarded stance, and she’s been muttering under her breath a lot. I try not to listen though, pal. I feel like she wouldn’t want me to know.” Gumshoe scratched his head, tucking his pen behind his ear. “Of course, I could be wrong. I’ve only worked with Kyoko a few times, but she seemed to really like that Makoto kid.”

Maya grinned cheekily. “I honestly thought she-” 

“Hey, it isn’t cool to talk about something as delicate as young love so loosely, pal!” Detective Gumshoe cut in. “Especially since the evidence is all pointing to him-” Gumshoe’s angry expression dropped. “-unfortunately. I really don’t want to convict this kid. Kyoko’s got a whole lot of potential, pal, and this Makoto guy seemed to make her happy from what I saw. I just hope she’ll be okay after this.”

“It’s nice of you to worry, detective.” Sayaka said. “I’m sure Kyoko is just processing everything in her own way.” 

Gumshoe’s eyes widened as he looked at Sayaka, recognition spreading across his features. “A-are you the pop sensation?!”

Sayaka smiled and nodded. Gumshoe grinned. “I gotta tell you, pal, my girlfriend Maggey and I have listened to so many of your songs! I even got Wright over here hooked! Isn’t that right, pal?”

Phoenix put his head in his hands and groaned, while Maya laughed. Sayaka looked bemused, and Leon rolled his eyes, but Phoenix noted that he seemed to be biting back a small smile. Gumshoe’s expression grew serious again. “I’m technically not supposed to help you, pal, but here’s the thing. If there’s a chance that this Makoto kid is innocent, I want you to prove it, okay! Do for Kyoko what you did for me and Maggey!” Detective Gumshoe got out a manilla folder from his coat. “Here’s the autopsy for the victim.” 

Phoenix opened the folder as Maya, Leon, and Sayaka all crowded around over his shoulders. There was a photo of Yasuhiro, slumped over in his own blood against the wall. There was blood mainly on the stomach area, but there appeared to be bloodstains in his hair as well. Phoenix read over the details and closed the folder. 

“W-who would do such a thing?” Sayaka sniffled. “Hiro was-”

“-It’s not about to get any easier, pal.” Gumshoe’s expression of sympathy suddenly filled Phoenix with dread for what he could have next. Gumshoe picked up a bag with a knife inside of it. “Here is the knife we found at the scene. We had it tested, and it had Makoto’s prints all over.”

“Were there any other prints?” Maya asked.

Gumshoe shook his head. “It isn’t looking good, pal.” 

“No.” Kyoko’s voice cut through. “Even if the knife has Makoto’s prints, it doesn’t mean he did it.” 

“Hey, weren’t you the one who said you didn’t know what you believed?” Leon asked.

“I needed to see for myself, but from what I’ve gathered, there is reason for doubt.” Kyoko gestured to a bloodstain on the floor, a few feet from where the outline was. “The majority of Hiro’s blood is over here, yet he was found slumped against the wall. This points to the possibility that Hiro wasn’t attacked with his back to the wall, he was attacked and fell here.”

“Look closer,” Kyoko kneeled down, and gestured for the others to follow suit. When they did, she pointed out several tiny purplish shards, along with a few white fragments. “The autopsy report stated that Hiro suffered from stab wounds, but they also found head trauma. This would mean that he was hit with an object hard enough to stumble down here, and his usual crystal ball is missing-”

“-so someone took it and hit him with it, causing it to shatter, right?” Phoenix asked. “Then… that means that Hiro actually fell here? Then how did he get to the wall?” 

“That’s my point,” Kyoko swept up the pieces into an evidence bag. “How did Hiro move from there to the wall, without leaving a trail of blood? He had to be picked up, and why would Makoto do that if he’s the killer? Why bother moving Hiro to the wall, where he’d be supported, and thus have an easier time surviving? Of course, he was too late regardless.” She stood up, and the others followed. Phoenix scanned the room, and saw that she was right. The large bloodstain in the middle of the room had no connecting trail that led to the rather minimal amount of blood that adorned the wall where the outline was. He made sure to take a note of it. 

“Smart as always, pal!” Detective Gumshoe flashed a thumbs up towards Kyoko. “They really don’t call you the ultimate detective for nothing, huh?” Kyoko thanked him in the same monotone voice that Phoenix was accustomed to. At least she seemed modest about her talent, he supposed. She was genuinely impressive, definitely better than Gumshoe had ever been in the years Phoenix had known him. Phoenix realized that the one time he’d met Kyoko, her deductions had been accurate then, too. 

Phoenix noticed something else, just barely sticking out in his peripheral vision. It looked to be a card of some sort, though it didn’t have the suit that a playing card might have. He walked over, and the eyes of the group followed him as he picked it up. The display of the card read: Justice. There was a design on the card, but it was obscured by a bloody message. The others peered over Phoenix’s shoulder and their eyes widened. 

“That’s a tarot card,” Leon said. “Hiro used those to do his readings. That one is part of the major arcana.”

Sayaka gave Leon a confused look. “Since when did you become an expert on tarot?”

“Hey, I hung around with Hiro a lot, it’s only natural I’d pick up on what he does. I mean, this was his whole talent.”

“I guess that just proves you were a great friend, Leon.” Sayaka placed a hand on Leon’s shoulder, and he blushed. “I- uh, thanks, Sayaka.” 

Kyoko’s eyes never moved from the card. The bloody message was a weird looking symbol that looked like a lumpy ball of some sort, with dots in the middle. There was a letter below it, however, that made Phoenix’s blood run cold. Beneath the drawing, a single bloody letter M was clear as day. Phoenix was shocked at how neatly the letter was written. Kyoko stared at the card and pursed her lips. 

“The drawing could be.. Hmmm,” She crossed her arms, unsure if she wanted to speak. 

Before she could decide, Maya spoke for her. “It looks kinda like a clover, with the bumps and stuff. I don’t get why-”

“-He’s the ultimate lucky student. That’s why.” Kyoko interrupted. “This and the M, it could be Hiro’s way of telling us.” 

“If it even is his handwriting. It could be a forgery.” Sayaka offered, desperate to clear the new cloud of suspicion. 

“Nah, it’s his writing pal. Compare that to these notes that are lying around.” Gumshoe picked up a piece of paper and handed it to Phoenix. He had to admit, the handwriting was as close as you could get, both were impeccably neat, making the mystery of the weirdly drawn clover that much more prevalent. However, there was something else that caught his eye. 

“This note, it’s a reminder from Hiro that Makoto is coming. It says he left his door unlocked.” Phoenix crossed his arms. “That means anyone could’ve come in before Makoto, even from outside the school, no handbook needed.”

“I don’t know, pal. We have a virtual log here from the headmaster detailing if any outside visitors came to the school. It says no one was authorized from outside that night.” 

“It isn’t a guarantee, detective. There are ways around that.” Kyoko said, while looking at Maya, who grinned bashfully. Detective Gumshoe scratched his head in confusion. “You lost me, pal.” 

“We have to finish our investigation and prepare the detective’s statement.” Kyoko stated matter-of-factly. “I’m sure you have the evidence you need here regardless. Well, I suppose you can have this.” Kyoko gave Phoenix a knowing look as she took the Oh! Cult poster from off the wall and handed it to him. Phoenix nodded, and a plan started to form in his head as he left the room, the other 3 in the group in tow. He looked back one last time to where Kyoko and Gumshoe stood. Hopefully, whatever they managed to find, it would help. They needed all the help they could get. 

***********************************************

April 30th, 1:30 PM

Dormitory Hallway

“Fukawa, you can come out. Everyone has left,” a deep, yet gentle voice coaxed. Phoenix turned and saw who he recognized from Hina’s pictures to be Sakura, the ultimate martial artist. If anything, those pictures hadn’t done her justice. She was an absolute giant. Yet, her face was painted with a gentle concern as she stood in front of another dormitory room. 

“Oh yeah, you never met Toko.” Leon rolled his eyes. “She hasn’t come out of her room since the discovery of Hiro’s body, and barely even spoke to that detective. Byakuya did most of the talking anyway.” 

“She’s um, a bit self-conscious around groups,” Sayaka said, clearly trying to be more delicate than Leon. “She is the ultimate writer, have any of you read her book _So Lingers the Ocean_? It’s her bestseller.”

Phoenix’s eyebrows shot up. That book was huge just a few years ago, and it was insane that it was written by a high schooler. Especially considering some of the more… adult scenes in that book. He had to admit, he’d enjoyed parts of the book, it was hard to admit he’d been a sucker for a love story involving a particularly dashing fisherman. 

The group looked up to where Toko was tentatively stepping out of her room, but once she made eye contact with Phoenix and the rest of the group, she shrieked, clutching her braids like a lifeline. “Y-y-you lied! T-there’s a-a spiky h-haired g-guy and s-some weird g-girl right there!” 

Sakura turned around, and her expression conveyed a mild surprise, yet she kept her composure. Unlike Toko. “I didn’t know they were there, Fukawa. My apologies, but I’m sure they mean you no harm.”

Toko said nothing, instead scanning her handbook to her room, and quickly throwing open the door. 

“Hey, wait! I’m not weird, I promise!” Maya ran up to where Toko and Sakura were. “I’m Maya Fey, and I’m a spirit medium. I’m with Nick over there, and he’s Makoto’s lawyer! It’s nice to meet you!”

Toko’s eyes only widened further, and she ran into her room and shut the door. “G-go away! You’re only going to b-blame m-me! Y-you can’t b-blame M-makoto, and even though h-he’s guilty, you’re going to b-blame m-me instead!” 

Phoenix came up behind Maya. He was honestly a bit in shock. Toko’s writing was so romantic and insightful that he’d thought she’d be wise beyond her years, a calm presence, instead of the paranoid, awkward girl he’d just seen. “We’re not trying to blame you, we’re just helping Makoto.”

“L-liar! Y-you’re all ganging up o-on m-me because it’s e-easy, and n-no one would m-miss the ugly g-girl, and m-master said-” 

“You’re not ugly!” Maya said emphatically. 

Silence came from the door, and it was clear that Toko was done talking. Phoenix sighed exasperatedly. That had gone nowhere, and now he was sure that one of Japan’s most promising young authors now hated him. 

“I apologize for my classmate. She is… prone to paranoia. I am Sakura Ogami, the ultimate martial artist. Hina told me about you, Mr. Wright. I have met Maya before.” Sakura bowed apologetically towards Phoenix. 

“No worries,” Phoenix said. “It’s nice to meet you. When Toko said master, who was she referring to?” 

“Byakuya. It is a rather concerning nickname, considering his general disregard for her. She, on the other hand, is quite devoted to him, and his word has significant weight to her.” Sakura crossed her arms. “I do not pretend to understand her infatuation with him. Fukawa is a… complicated person.” 

“Why is she so scared to come outside? And what’s with all that stuff about being a suspect?” Maya questioned. 

“That is not my place to answer. All I will say is that Fukawa cannot stand the sight of blood.” Sakura’s expression made it clear she was thinking carefully about every word, and there were knowing looks in Leon and Sayaka’s eyes that put Phoenix on edge. There had to be something about Toko that they weren’t telling him. All he knew was that it would be that much harder to make a case with a class full of secrets. When Leon told him to stay on guard, he definitely meant it. Phoenix and the other 3 left the hallway, leaving a stoic Sakura to stand vigil over Toko’s door.

******************************************************

April 30th, 1:50 PM

Hope’s Peak Academy-Main Gate

It shouldn’t have been a surprise when Phoenix saw a certain red-suited prosecutor standing by the gate. He should’ve known that Edgeworth would be there. Chihiro had pretty much confirmed it a while ago, but he’d since pushed it out of his mind to concentrate on the case. Now, here he was yet again, they were destined to battle in court no matter what, it seemed. Edgeworth was jotting down quick notes in a manila folder while listening to a rather loud boy with spiky hair (not nearly as spiky as his own) and a white uniform. 

“I won’t disappoint you, Prosecutor Edgeworth, sir!” The boy saluted. “I promise to give accurate and truthful testimony, despite my previous friendship with Makoto!” 

So this must be the witness, Taka, as he was called. Phoenix didn’t know if that was a nickname or his actual name. The only thing he knew was that he seemed rather orderly, and very loud. Phoenix resisted the urge to smirk at Edgeworth’s tired expression, clearly Taka’s overenthusiasm wasn’t Edgeworth’s cup of tea. Edgeworth assured Taka that he’d do fine, with a rather awkward attempt of a salute of his own, and Phoenix felt himself grin seeing Edgeworth trying to assure the boy. 

Edgeworth looked over Taka’s shoulder and caught Phoenix’s gaze, and Phoenix felt his face burn up for a moment. Edgeworth managed a small half smile. 

“Wright,” he called out. “I should’ve known I’d see you here. I was naive to think anyone else would rise to this occasion.” 

Phoenix and the group walked over to where Edgeworth was standing with Taka. “It appears that your detective agency has gained a few more members, Wright. Though, I didn’t think of the ultimate pop sensation or ultimate baseball star as possible detectives.” 

“Wait, you know them already, Edgeworth?”

“Wright, I’ve been at this school since 7 o’clock this morning talking to students to get potential leads, and oversee the start of an investigation. Besides, I’ve met the 78th class already. I gave them a tour of criminal affairs years ago. Besides Kyoko and Makoto, I didn’t think I’d see any of them again. Of course, meeting again like this is not ideal.” 

“Why’d you think you’d see Kyoko and Makoto again?” Leon asked, his hands folded across his arms. 

“Kyoko is the ultimate detective, so it was a natural career interest for her. I’ve actually overseen some of her investigations… well Franziska actually helped with her first. From what I could tell, she and Makoto seemed like a pair. Though, Makoto is far from the person I judged him to be. I suppose you can’t know a person based on a measly tour, however. It was foolhardy to place judgment on any of them, good or bad.” 

“I’ve met Makoto too! He didn’t seem like a bad guy to me!” Maya said. 

Edgeworth shook his head, clearing a stray hair from his face. “Did you spend more than a few hours with him?” Maya shook her head, and Edgeworth nodded. “See? Exactly my point.” Sayaka opened her mouth to protest, but Edgeworth spoke before she could. “This is pointless to talk about. Wright, you might as well meet the witness for the prosecution. This is Kiyotaka Ishimaru, the ultimate moral compass. Based on his account, we can place Makoto at the scene of the crime.” 

“It is an honor to meet a civil servant of justice!” Kiyotaka said with gumption. He offered Phoenix a salute, and Phoenix found himself giving one back, despite inwardly making fun of Edgeworth for it moments ago. He flushed when he saw a small smile spread across Edgeworth’s face over his awkward gesture. 

“I apologize for my testimony, especially to my classmates!” He bowed towards Leon and Sayaka. “I take no pleasure in what I’m saying, but I must tell the truth… even if it is against my own friend.” Kiyotaka’s enthusiasm ebbed away, his rigid posture slumping slightly. 

“It isn’t easy, but you’re doing the right thing.” Edgeworth offered. “Don’t be hard on yourself. And I’ll be giving you questions. I’ll make sure Wright doesn’t harass you.” 

“What?!” Phoenix balked. Of course Edgeworth just had to get a jab in, even when he was being encouraging. Still, it was nice to see Edgeworth making an effort to make Kiyotaka feel at ease. It really reminded Phoenix how much Edgeworth had changed over the years. 

Phoenix turned towards Kiyotaka. “Why do you suspect Makoto? And where were you the night of the crime, considering you saw him?” 

Kiyotaka placed a hand under his chin. “Well, I was with Mondo then we met with Hina and Sakura for a large portion of the night- just a casual hanging out of course-”

A single psyche-lock flew into place. “Hanging out?” Phoenix questioned. Maybe this is where he caught him in a lie, crumbling his testimony before it even started. He’d seemed uneasy about this, and he was lying about something. Before he could question Kiyotaka, who was now staring at his boots with a beet red expression, Edgeworth cut in.

“Yes, Wright. Hanging out. Until certain prejudices in our world go away-” Edgeworth grimaced. “-that is what we are going to say. Besides, it does not affect his credibility as a witness.” Edgeworth gave Kiyotaka a brief, knowing glance, and the prefect’s face was washed with relief. 

Phoenix blushed as it dawned on him. Those four specific people together. He remembered Maya talking about how touching she found Mondo and Kiyotaka’s bond, and of course there was the way Hina glowed with adoration when she’d described Sakura to Phoenix this morning. He felt like an idiot, especially since it seemed like Edgeworth had picked up on it immediately. 

Maya, having also grasped the hidden meaning, immediately spoke up. “Of course! We’d never judge, besides, I thought you and Mondo would make a good couple anyway. Same with Hina and Sakura. I mean, who wouldn’t go out with a girl who goes on late night donut runs with you?” 

“I appreciate your kind words. I assure you, I am not ashamed of the way I feel, or who I am with.” Kiyotaka’s rather large eyebrows furrowed, bringing out the almost unsettling intensity in his red eyes. “It is just that I plan to run for Prime Minister of Japan someday, and something like this… would hurt my chances, which due to my family name are already low. As wrong as that fact is, it is the unfortunate truth.” Kiyotaka’s psyche-lock shattered. “When I become Prime Minister, I plan on changing that fact. I want to be able to have a relationship that goes beyond my school. I want that for other people as well.”

Phoenix nodded, and now he could see where Kiyotaka got his talent. There was no question that he was committed to what was right. Phoenix saw Maya smiling at that remark, and Edgeworth nodded his head slightly. “You’ll have my vote, Mr. Ishimaru,” he said. 

“Wait,” Phoenix said. “What made you trust your classmates enough to tell them about your relationship?” He cast a quick glance at Leon and Sayaka. “I’m not trying to pry, but it doesn’t seem like everyone is necessarily all close, and this is important to you.” 

“Oh! Well, our class may not seem like it, but we all have a bond with each other. I didn’t have any friends before Hope’s Peak, but now I have found lifelong companions! We have gone through four years of schooling together, and have gotten to know each other well! I trusted them enough to let them know of my relationship… though some of them even knew me well enough to know my feelings before I did!” 

“Yeah,” Maya said. “I know people like that. They obviously like each other, yet somehow won’t admit it.”

Phoenix raised an eyebrow. “Wait, what? Who?”

Maya rolled her eyes, and smiled her same devious grin. “It’s not important, Nick.” 

Phoenix shook his head, and turned towards Edgeworth, who shrugged. Leon and Kiyotaka looked vaguely confused as well, but Sayaka’s face lit up with a realization and she grinned behind her hand. Phoenix wondered what she could possibly know. He felt his face flush, and rushed to change the subject. “Anyway, you were saying,”

Kiyotaka cleared his throat. “I thought I could trust my classmates, so when I saw Makoto… I could not believe it. I confided so much in Makoto, he was always a sympathetic ear. It made me wonder if some of the bonds I’d made here were even real. I don’t wish to doubt any of my classmates, so my hope is that this is the work of an outside force!”

“That is unlikely.” Edgeworth crossed his arms. “You can hope however you want. It does not change what you saw. It does not change the facts. People can lie to you, make you think they care.” 

“Don’t talk like you know Makoto like that!” Sayaka glared at Edgeworth. “You’re making him sound like a monster, when he’s not!”

“I don’t want him to be guilty, Ms. Maizono.” Edgeworth stated his shoulders upright, a no-nonsense expression lining his tired features. “I am merely doing my job. Catching criminals.” 

“He sort of sounded like Byakuya for a second there,” Leon muttered. 

Maya whispered back, “Edgeworth used to be way meaner. He was way more like Byakuya a few years ago than he is now!” 

Before Phoenix could tell them to stop whispering, because Edgeworth was obviously staring at them, Mondo came running up to them, Pearl and Chihiro in hot pursuit. Mondo stopped in front of the group, giving Pearl and Chihiro time to catch up. Pearl was clutching a handful of picked flowers, and Chihiro had a flower that looked like it came from the bunch in the pocket of her jacket. Phoenix hopes whoever did the gardening in Hope’s Peak wouldn’t get mad at that.

“That’s not fair,” Pearl huffed. “You’re bigger than us.” 

Mondo grinned apologetically while Chihiro nodded in agreement with Pearl while catching her breath. In Chihiro’s hands were several papers. She took half of the papers, and handed them to Phoenix.

“There,” she wheezed. “Here’s the stuff you wanted printed. I got copies for you. This first paper is the dorm and camera layout, the second one is the Hope’s Peak Map!” She wiped sweat from her brow and laughed sheepishly. “Sorry we took so long, Pearl wanted to see what kind of stuff Alter Ego could do, and we ended up talking to them for a while, then we saw some nice flowers, then Mondo wanted to race here… sorry for wasting your time.”

“It’s no problem.” Phoenix took the papers, now he had the dorm layout, camera spots, and an overall map of Hope’s Peak. “You were a really big help, Chihiro.” 

Chihiro blushed at the praise. “I-I just wanted to be helpful, that’s all.”

“I’d assume those other copies are for Detective Gumshoe and Ms. Kirigiri, correct?” Edgeworth asked. Chihiro nodded shyly. “Perfect. I was just about to check up on them again. Hopefully, Ms. Kirigiri has found some evidence, and Gumshoe is at least trying to keep up. I’ll accompany you to the scene.” With a final, “good luck, Wright,” Edgeworth left, poor Chihiro running off after him, barely catching her breath again. 

Phoenix sighed, and stuck the papers in his jacket. He turned towards Kiyotaka, who moved to stand next to Mondo. “What exactly was your reason for suspecting Makoto?”

Kiyotaka’s expression grew pensive. “As I was saying before, our group was hanging out on the campus that night, we’d gone to the gym. We stopped on the way out, and I decided to separate for a brief moment to check on Yasuhiro, since it was my fault that he was studying-”

“-your fault?”

“Yes, the whole studying session was my idea. I was concerned about Hiro’s ability to pass, so I wanted to start his studying right away, but I had plans, so Makoto offered to help, with my help coming tomorrow. So, I went up, and that’s when I came to the room and saw Makoto-wait-I am not supposed to be sharing this! The prosecutor told me I was to wait, in order to not be swayed by outside influences! I’m sorry, but I must stop!” Kiyotaka promptly clammed up, and rigidly stood at attention. 

“C’mon, bro,” Mondo protested. “I mean, you know that Maya’s legit at least-”

“-No way, bro, it’s proper procedure. No exceptions! It’s what is right!” With that last burst of conviction, Kiyotaka walked off.

“Hey, Leon, you’re okay, right dude?” Mondo asked. “I mean, ya and Hiro were always with Chi, Taka, and I. If you’re upset-”

“-I’m fine,” Leon said abruptly. “It sucks, but doing this whole investigation thing has made me feel a bit better. I at least feel like I’m doing something, y’know?”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true. Well, I’m going to catch up with Taka, but if you need anythin’, don’t hesitate to come by, bro.” Mondo punched Leon in the arm, in what Phoenix could only interpret as a sign of affection before running off. Leon managed a slight grin, despite cradling his now bruised arm. 

“Sometimes, I think Mondo forgets how strong he is. Save those punches for someone like Sakura.” Leon quipped, as Sayaka giggled at the remark. Leon’s face flushed, and Phoenix couldn’t help but feel a bit of sympathy for Leon when he saw the spark of realization hit Pearl’s face, and she put her face in her hands and grinned. Pearl grinned at Phoenix, and he shook his head. Not now, Pearls. The case was hard enough as it is. 

Based on the lack of psyche-locks, Kiyotaka wasn’t lying about the fact that he’d seen Makoto, and that did not bode well for the case. It was about time he headed back to the detention center for a final check with Makoto before he officially started to prepare for the case. 

“Leon and I will stay here as well, Mr. Wright. Thank you for letting us come along on the investigation, it means a lot.” Sayaka said. Leon nodded in agreement. 

“Hey, before Pearl, Maya, and I head out, there is one last thing I want to know.” He turned towards Leon and Sayaka. “Why did Hiro have this poster about the Kurain channeling getaway?”

Sayaka shrugged, but Leon stepped forward. “Hiro actually wanted to go to one of those retreats once he graduated. He said he thought it would enhance his clairvoyance, especially after he met with Maya… and he thought the mafia wouldn’t find him there…. Or the aliens…that conversation was a weird one.”

"Wait, Hiro's wanted by the mafia?" Maya's eyes widened. "Was he in some sort of trouble?"

"That's what he said," Leon shrugged. "Honestly, he's ripped people off before, but he did talk about it. The weird thing was that he thought they'd finally moved on, considering he'd been held back enough for them to potentially find other targets. Besides, that Hazuraka Temple thing was going to help with that too. Honestly, a lot of us tended to ignore it when he rambled about that stuff." 

Sayaka crossed her arms. “I know he’s the one who met Maya first, but didn’t Hiro not like the occult-”

“-the Kurain channeling technique isn’t occult, it’s spiritual! It’s my culture!” Maya protested. 

“Sorry,” Sayaka blushed. “It’s just that they flyer says-”

“-Yeah, that’s what Hiro thought at first too,” Leon said. “He originally started looking into the Kurain stuff because he thought it would be a threat for business, and he dislikes the occult, but then he said the same thing Maya just did. He realized it was a spiritual thing, and he actually got interested in it… even if it wasn’t for a profit. That’s how he was able to pick you out as a medium, Maya.” 

Maya smiled. “It sounds like he would’ve liked the retreat. I went on it, actually…. It didn’t go as planned, but if it had, it probably would’ve been great! I mean if Larry could go, anyone could, right, Nick?”

“Larry?” Leon and Sayaka said at the same time. 

“He’s not important,” Phoenix quickly said. “But that does answer my question, thanks. It was no problem, bringing you guys, and I promise, we’ll find the truth. One way or another.”

“Thank you, for believing in Makoto!” Sayaka said.

“Thanks. Really. I trust you guys, you’ll do right by Hiro.” Leon said, finally cracking a full grin. 

“Goodbye,” Pearl said, but then she held up the flowers to Sayaka. “I picked these for you, because you were so nice to me, and it will go with your cute i-dol dresses you told me about on the way to the detention center!” 

Sayaka beamed, and graciously accepted the flowers, even tucking one of the less dirty ones behind her hair. “These are beautiful, Pearl! You’re so nice to give these to me!” 

Pearl grinned with stars in her eyes as Sayaka gave her a gentle hug, and promised they’d sit together in court tomorrow. 

“You, me, and Chihiro!” Pearl grinned, and Sayaka nodded. Phoenix smiled. It would be nice to know that Pearls would at least be sitting with friends tomorrow in court. 

“Bye, you guys! See you in court tomorrow! I’ll be with Nick on the bench!” Maya waved enthusiastically, and Leon and Sayaka waved back as they walked away, into the gates of Hope’s Peak. 

*************************************************

April 30th, 2:45 PM 

Detention Center, Visitor’s Room

“Chihiro was just so smart, Mr. Nick! Alter Ego is like a person. I got to talk to them about Kurain, and they taught me so much, like how to read a bus map, or how to use a phone-book! She was so nice to me too, she answered all my questions and everything! She even said that I was teaching Alter Ego with the spirit medium information I had. All they had was information about Maya given by Chihiro,” Pearl said. 

“No wonder you guys took so long then, Pearly.” Maya said with a grin. 

Pearls had been going on about her adventure with Chihiro and Mondo, and to her credit, it seemed like she did learn about Alter Ego at least, and she’d had fun. Even if it did seem like Pearls had basically gotten a break from investigating with the group. As they walked into the visiting room, Byakuya was already there, talking casually with Makoto.

“Hey, what are you doing here, you jerk?” Maya questioned angrily. “Aren’t you the one who said you just wanted this whole thing to be done?”

Byakuya stood up abruptly, and gave Maya a snide stare. “Oh, it’s you. And the lawyer. I was just leaving.” Byakuya strode out, not even bothering to say anything else, or even say goodbye to Makoto. 

Maya glared at Byakuya. “How do you stand that guy?” she asked Makoto. 

“He’s not all bad,” Makoto shrugged sheepishly. “I guess I’m more patient than a lot of people. He doesn’t really get to me all that much, I actually think that’s part of the reason he actually bothers to talk to me. He knows I don’t take what he says personally… usually.”

Pearl frowned. “He said he wanted you found guilty!”

“Yeah, he told me. He wanted to say it was nothing personal, actually. He actually said he believes me, he just thinks there is no way you’d prove it, and it would just inconvenience the class to drag out a trial. He, uh… called you a fluke. Said you only get lucky with using spiritual, um, nonsense.” Makoto quickly sat up. “I-I don’t think that at all, though. I have total faith in you, Mr. Wright, and Maya too! After all I’ve heard about you from Kyoko, how could I not? Even if she doesn’t exactly believe in me…”

Phoenix raised an eyebrow. So, Byakuya did believe in Makoto’s innocence. Out of all the members of Makoto’s class that he’d met, Byakuya Togami being one of the few who fully believed in Makoto’s innocence was definitely shocking. However, he wondered if Makoto knew about all the investigating Kyoko was doing, how she seemed to believe in him, despite her claims of impartiality. Besides, there was something in the autopsy report that bothered him.

“Makoto,” Phoenix sat down to face him. “You were in Hiro’s room the night he died, correct?”

“Yes.” 

“Did you touch the knife that was there?” 

“Yeah,” Makoto’s face fell, and he flushed with embarrassment. “I know it was a bad idea, but I just felt this instinct to investigate the scene and as soon as I picked up the knife that’s when-”

“-Kiyotaka came in, and saw you,” Phoenix finished. “So, you didn’t find anything else, and you didn’t leave the room after Kiyotaka ran to call the police?”

“No, I stayed. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t even move. I was just in such shock, and I didn’t realize I was still gripping the knife when the police came and took me in for questioning, and that’s how they arrested me… but I have hope. I know that my classmates want to believe in me, and my name will be cleared,” He smiled. “Even if Byakuya’s graduation is slightly delayed. He’ll just have to live with it.” 

“That’s what I thought. We’ll have a chance, then.” Phoenix got out the autopsy report. “It says here that Yasuhiro had stab wounds of different diameters. Of course, some matched the knife, but there are a few that were too thin. That would mean there is a different weapon, possibly with different prints.”

Makoto’s eyes brimmed with hope. “So, how will you prove this? I want to help, could I testify?”

Phoenix shook his head. “We’ll have to pick apart Kiyotaka’s testimony. That, and press Gumshoe or Kyoko. Whichever of them choose to present their findings.”

Makoto bit his lip. “Kyoko could testify against me?” 

“No way, she’d just be presenting facts. Besides,” Phoenix got out the Oh! Cult flyer. “She let me have this from Hiro’s room, for whatever reason. I think it will aid us in the case tomorrow, and she was helping us during the investigation, pointing out inconsistencies. She does believe in you, but she wants to make sure she is able to investigate without conflict. Of course, despite her efforts, you can tell she wants to believe in you.”

Makoto’s green eyes glittered with optimism, and he smiled a genuine smile, a blush lining his cheeks. “Thank you, Mr. Wright. I needed to hear that.”

“You better get ready for court tomorrow, Makoto!” Maya said. “People are going to be staring at you, and some of your friends might have doubts, but we’ll make sure to clear your name!” 

“Yeah!” Pearl cheered. 

Makoto grinned, and pressed his hand to the barrier that separated them. “I know you guys will! Your hope and dedication is truly impressive!” He removed his hand and placed it in his jacket pocket, still smiling. “I think I know why Kyoko thought I’d like you guys so much.” 

Phoenix smiled back at him, and got up from his chair, Maya and Pearl following suit. Makoto got up from his own seat, and was led away by a guard, still maintaining his hopeful expression. As Phoenix left, he couldn’t deny that he liked Makoto’s spirit. It was easy to feel hopeless when stuck in a place like the detention center, yet Makoto still had faith. He still believed in his classmates, even when they doubted him, and he had hope for Phoenix, despite the fact that they’d just met. Hopefully, Phoenix would prove Makoto right, and find the truth behind this murder. There is definitely more to the 78th class than meets the eye, Phoenix decided, there were hidden secrets, despite the supposed camaraderie. However, he wasn’t deterred, he’d faced worse. The truth would come out, one way or another. He’d make sure of it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Court Record
> 
> Headmaster’s Statement  
> [A statement given in writing by Headmaster Kirigiri detailing the basic rules of Hope’s Peak. Also talks about cameras.]
> 
> Autopsy Report  
> [Approximate time of death dated April 29th, 9:50 PM. Victim suffered from multiple stab wounds of different length, along with head trauma. Died from blood loss.]
> 
> Miscellaneous Shards  
> [Broken shards thought to be from a crystal ball belonging to Yasuhiro Hagakure. Used to injure the victim.]
> 
> Blood Stain Photos  
> [Photos of the blood stains covering Yasuhiro’s floor. According to Kyoko, the placement of the blood is quite odd.]
> 
> Knife  
> [A rather peculiar knife that was found in the victim’s room, covered in his blood. Has fingerprints belonging to Makoto Naegi.]
> 
> Justice Card  
> [A card from Yasuhiro’s deck labeled: Justice. Has a bloody drawing, thought to be a clover, along with a rather neat ‘M’ on the card.]
> 
> Yasuhiro’s Note  
> [A note written by the victim, saying that he’s leaving his door unlocked for a studying session. The handwriting is surprisingly neat.]
> 
> Oh! Cult Flyer  
> [A poster detailing a getaway at Hazaraka Temple and a chance to learn about the Kurain channeling technique. Found in Yasuhiro Hagakure’s room]
> 
> Dormitory Layout  
> [A diagram of where all the students’ dorms are, along with the positions of the cameras in the hallway. Made by the AI, Alter Ego.]
> 
> Map of Hope’s Peak  
> [A map of the overall campus of Hope’s Peak made by Alter Ego. It is rather large.]


	3. You Believe Me, Right? (Kyoko)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During the first day of investigation, Kyoko must grapple with her doubts in Makoto and form her own opinions as she gathers evidence for the prosecution.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know this isn't the first trial, and I apologize for that. I wanted to do these in-between chapters where I break up Phoenix's investigation and trial chapters with a chapter told from someone else's point of view, to fill in some gaps or just provide someone else's perspective and make it so that Phoenix isn't the sole narrator. These chapters won't be as long as a typical investigation chapter, but this one is longer than I'd orginally anticipated because Kyoko plays an investigative role herself, hence why I formatted her chapter like an investigation.
> 
> Don't worry, the trial is next, so I just hope that I don't bore you guys with the intermediate stuff I wanted to put in. Think of this chapter as a sort of intermission.

April 29th, 10:17 PM

Hope’s Peak Academy-Main Gate

Kyoko was writing rapidly in her notebook when she saw the police cars pull up at the front gate of Hope’s Peak. She’d been sitting outside, enjoying the solitude of the evening before curfew, when the sirens interrupted her train of thought. She then saw the group of Mondo, Hina, Sakura, and Taka running up, and it was clear that Taka had been crying. The police came up to where Taka was waving them over, and she couldn’t make out what Taka said, but saw him pointing towards the dorms. Kyoko shut her notebook, putting it in the pocket of her jacket as she ran to the others. 

“What’s going on?” she asked. 

“Kyoko, you may not want to hear this.” Sakura grimaced. The alarm bells began to go off in Kyoko’s head. Sakura was the only one in the group who could even look at her. 

“I-I’m sorry, Kyoko…” Taka forced himself to meet her eyes, and his voice was the softest it had been since she’d known him. 

Kyoko was starting to get impatient. “What is-”

“Hiro’s dead!” Hina burst out. “Taka saw him, and M-M-Makoto was there, and-” 

Wait, what? “Yasuhiro is… are you sure this isn’t one of his boneheaded pranks? Him and Leon-” 

Just then, the police walked out, and Kyoko couldn’t believe what she saw. This has to be a mistake, was the first thing she thought when she saw Makoto getting led away in handcuffs. The police insisted it was for questioning as they passed the five, but Kyoko knew enough about police procedure to realize he was a suspect. 

“Why is Makoto being arrested? What did you tell the police, Ishimaru?” Kyoko’s eyes burned into Kiyotaka with an icy intensity. 

“Ya should take a look at his room. Only Taka’s seen it, but maybe then-” Kyoko walked off, not even letting Mondo finish his sentence. Kyoko hardly cared to look back to make sure the other four were following her. This couldn’t be happening. She was the ultimate detective, yet a classmate of hers was murdered, and the one person she thought she could always trust was the prime suspect. A feeling of guilt began to fester in her. Her talent was about deduction. Shouldn’t she have seen this coming? Could she have prevented this?

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April 29th, 10:23 PM

Dormitory Hallway

The dorms were in pandemonium when Kyoko arrived. Everyone was crowded around Hiro’s dorm room, the door had been shut and taped over in police tape. Out of the corner of her eye, Kyoko could see the coroners carrying out a body bag, trying to be discrete. However, Kyoko wasn’t the only one who’d noticed. 

“Please, let me see him! It can’t be! It just fucking can’t!” Leon burst out, trying to get to the rather nervous looking coroners. 

“Mr. Kuwata, I understand your pain,” the headmaster, her father, cleared his throat. “However, you must let the police do their jobs. We can’t interrupt their work.” 

Kyoko, feeling an obligation to help her father and use her talent, stepped forward. “The coroners need to perform an autopsy right away. The fresher the body, the more accurate the results will be.” 

“Jesus, you say that like he’s not even a person anymore.” Leon’s brows furrowed in anger, and he wiped desperately at his eyes, as if trying to prevent the tears from escaping. 

Kyoko winced. She knew that she wasn’t the best with other people’s emotions, she could deduce what a person was feeling just fine, it was actually dealing with those feelings that was the problem. She often came off as insensitive, even when merely stating a fact, because she just came off detached and cold. She’d been trying to work on that. Makoto was the person she’d confided this in, and he’d immediately set out to help her, practicing scenarios that involved emotional responses, and even talking through her own feelings. Makoto had said that maybe a large part of her aloofness was that she had trouble acknowledging her own feelings. Out of all the things she’d investigated, her own mind wasn’t something she’d wanted to dig into, but Makoto insisted, and it was so hard to refuse him with his rather cute smile and shining green eyes. His earnest hope in her filled her with a type of warmth she’d never felt before, motivating her even more to reach out. Ever since, Kyoko thought she’d made significant progress in understanding her classmates, and they’d started to warm to her in turn. However, she could see now that she still had work to do. Bitterly, she realized that Makoto would probably know what to say right now to get everyone’s spirits up, but he was gone. 

Another thought occurred to her. Another person that maybe could’ve said something else, if they were here. Of all people, Yasuhiro was actually one of the better mediators of the class. Despite her skepticism about his talent, over the years of knowing him, Kyoko realized that Yasuhiro’s readings involved a lot of listening to others and picking up on their subtle body language. It was how he was able to interpret the meanings of his cards in a way that fit the person that was the recipient of the reading, and it increased his credibility. Of course, Yasuhiro used this gift primarily for monetary reasons, but she’d seen him use it for the benefit of his classmates on multiple occasions. There was a time during their 2nd year that Leon was having rather awful anxiety attacks concerning being torn between baseball and singing. At the time, no one had caught on to why he’d become more withdrawn and angry, but one day, Kyoko saw Hiro pull Leon aside after class, and the things he’d said made Leon’s shoulders finally relax, and the two walked off together. Kyoko followed, her detective instincts had taken over, despite knowing that this would be one of those things that her classmates would point to as evidence to her disregard for boundaries in pursuit of evidence. At the time, she hadn’t cared about things like that. She’d expected to hear Hiro babbling about aliens, but instead, he was presenting Leon with the seven of cups tarot card, and talking about all the choices he had in front of him. 

“At the end of the day, it’s your decision, dude. All I can say is, you need to do what makes you happy. Do that, and the stars will like, totally align for whatever you choose. Life is about these moments man, a decision at a crossroads. Just remember to enjoy that road too.” Hiro then got up, and walked away, telling Leon to come by any time for advice, surprisingly free of charge. Kyoko had never heard him give anything away like that before.

Leon must’ve said something, or maybe his improved demeanor must’ve given away Hiro’s aptitude for advice, because his readings got a lot more popular after that. His words, even though they weren’t meant for her, still rang in her head. Her road was determined already, she’d be a detective, but that part about enjoying the road stuck with her. It was around the time she started to get close to Makoto, and subsequently the rest of the class. She had to admit Hiro’s reading of subtle cues was impressive, even if she still didn’t fully believe in his clairvoyant abilities. It was more like profiling, and she understood that just fine. She’d seen it in action a few times when Makoto brought her to a reading Hiro would do on him, but she’d never partook herself. Frankly, she’d been afraid of what Hiro would say, but now she’d never know. Maye Hiro would’ve said something wise here, or something boreline nonsensical about the stars being illuminati spaceships, but he was gone too. 

A crushing weight of despair was all that remained in Makoto and Hiro’s absences. Leon’s face had turned almost purple from trying to contain his tears, but he finally broke, and he began to sob. It was ugly, a mess of snot, tears, and ruined eyeliner caked his face, but his screams of pain made everyone look past that, and it was like a dam had broken with Leon’s cries. Chihiro began to cry softly, the tiny boy hugging Sayaka, who also shed gentle tears. Taka and Hina began to weep as well, Taka’s sobs being more akin to a kind of scream, and Hina’s being accompanied by wet hiccups. Both Mondo and Sakura had yet to cry, being the supposed strongest members of the class, Kyoko guessed that they were trying to be strong out of an obligation to the rest of the group. Based on the pained looks on their faces, it wasn’t easy. Mukuro’s expression of stoicism wavered, and she placed a hand on her sister’s back, as Junko buried her face in her hands as she quivered, probably on the brink of tears. Hifumi blinked a few times, trying to keep from crying, though he removed his glasses to wipe a few stray droplets from them. There were two outliers. Byakuya, who was checking his watch out of boredom, and Celeste, who merely stood in place with her hands folded in front of her, a rather pensive expression on her face. 

Kyoko looked towards her father, and saw a pain in his eyes that hurt her to see. She and her father didn’t have the best relationship, she still resented him for leaving her behind. Of course, he’d accepted her into his school (that he’d abandoned the family to create) and had apologized numerous times over their years together in Hope’s Peak. It was complicated, but she still felt sorry for him at that moment. This atmosphere of hope and success he’d worked so hard to try and foster with the ultimates was crumbling before his eyes. 

“So, headmaster, when are the investigators going to get here?” Byakuya’s voice cut through the cacophony of sobbing. 

“I’m not entirely sure, Mr. Togami. However, Mr. Hagakure’s room is now a crime scene, so no one is allowed inside without special permission from criminal affairs. I know that things are hard now, but, you all will have to return to your rooms for the night. Please know that we have officers searching the campus for any threatening party that may remain-”

“-Where’s Toko? What if Makoto got her, too?” Junko sniffled. Kyoko looked around the group of students. Toko was nowhere to be found. Of course, knowing about a certain “aspect” of Toko’s personality, she doubted that she’d fall prey to a killer. Unless-

“-She’s just obeying the headmaster’s orders.” Byakuya countered. “She’s been in her room this whole time. As soon as she saw the police, she ran to her room and locked the door.” Byakuya strode over to Toko’s room at a leisurely pace, as if it was an ordinary day at the academy. Kyoko gritted her teeth at his smug attitude, clearly he was enjoying this a bit too much. 

Byakuya knocked on Toko’s door. “It’s Byakuya. Just say something to let these idiots know you’re not dead. They finally noticed your absence.” 

“O-okay. I-I’m not d-dead. N-now s-stop talking about m-m-me!” Toko cried out from behind her door. 

“Are you going to come out here, or what?” Hina asked, wiping away her tears. “Hiro’s dead! Makoto’s been arrested, you know!”

“L-leave me a-alone! Y-you’re j-just going to b-blame me!” 

“See,” Byakuya said. “Unfortunately, she’s completely alright.” 

“Unfortunately?” Mukuro’s eyes narrowed. 

Byakuya merely smirked, ignoring Mukuro’s question. Several students glared at Byakuya, but it didn’t seem to bother him. Kyoko figured it wouldn't, considering that he didn’t seem to care about most of their class. The fact that he hadn’t mentioned Makoto at all seemed off, though. She thought the two of them were actually friends, though she wasn’t sure how someone like Byakuya defined friendship. 

“I am surprised,” Celeste finally said, turning towards Byakuya with an air of disapproval. “I am surprised that you haven’t dropped dead, considering that your heart is probably too small and shriveled to properly pump blood to your selfish body. I do not understand how you say the things you do.” 

“Please!” the headmaster shouted. “Please go to your rooms, and try not to incite infighting with one another. You are all ultimates, and you need to rely on each other!” 

“Tell that to Yasuhiro,” Byakuya said smugly. 

“What the fuck did you just say?” Leon growled, his hands bunched into fists. If Makoto were here, he’d surely step in, try to deescalate the situation. Yasuhiro would probably say something about the illuminati, or something really nice. Kyoko desperately wracked her brain. She knew she didn’t have the patience Makoto did, or Hiro’s natural easygoing aura. Still, she had to say something. 

“Don’t listen to him, Leon. He’s enjoying getting a rise out of you. That’s why he says the things he does. He knows that this is the one time we’ll be forced to listen to him. Once our time here is over, we will forget about Byakuya, because he’s an asshole, and when he looks back on his life, lonely and alone in that building bought by his family’s wealth, maybe then he will regret his actions. For now, we just have to ignore him.” Kyoko said. Well, it definitely wasn’t what Makoto would’ve said. Makoto was in jail, currently a murder suspect. Honestly, she didn’t think Hiro could’ve ever said something like that. Hopefully, her words would be enough. 

Leon’s fist uncurled, and he huffed angrily and walked off to his room, slamming the door. Byakuya, whose eyes had widened at Kyoko’s remark, quickly regained his composure and walked away, with a small glare in Kyoko’s direction. A crushing silence filled the hallway, and one by one, the students trudged back to their own rooms. Finally, it was just Kyoko and her father. 

“I-I thought this school would be a place of hope, of dreams,” he sighed. “I had such a vision, I’d house all kinds of talent within these walls to create the next generation of problem solvers to lead us to a better future. I never thought anything like this would happen.”

Kyoko bit her lip, unsure of what to say to him. “You couldn’t have known,” she said at last. “This school is something good.” 

“I’m sorry,” he buried his head in his hands. “I’m sorry that I put so much into this and I just left-” 

“-not right now. Now is not the time for you to collapse. Everyone needs to calm down, and assess the facts. Your emotions are clouding your judgment, the school isn’t sunk yet. There are dozens of students still counting on you, they will look towards you for guidance. You need to try and remain vigilant and stable. For them… and for me.” Kyoko placed a hand on her father’s shoulder, and he managed a small smile. 

“I still mean what I said-”

“-I know.” Kyoko turned and walked off, getting to her room and shutting the door. The conversation with her father just reminded her of everything that was going wrong. Her father was beginning to falter, and her conflicting feelings about him were already a sore spot. Of course, she had to add into that the very real possibility that Makoto was a murderer. Someone she’d trusted and liked-maybe even loved- could be a fraud, and she’d let her guard down. She’d let him in, he’d seen her at her most vulnerable, he knew some of her biggest secrets, and it could all be a lie. Their years together, a massive lie. If Makoto of all people was a fake, then who could she ever trust? Kyoko buried her head in her hands, and slumped down against the door. 

Suddenly, she heard the sound of light footsteps in the hallway. Her heart raced as she opened the door just a sliver. Maybe it was the real killer, trying to dispose of evidence and Makoto was--her heart sank as she saw the footsteps belonged to Hina, who was merely making her way across the dorms to Sakura’s room. The two girls embraced each other as Sakura led Hina inside her room, and Kyoko shut the door with a sigh. So much for a secret killer. Makoto was still the only suspect, his guilt looking more likely by the second. She could feel a prick behind her eyes. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d cried. She blinked desperately. Today wasn’t about to be the day she broke that streak. She instead picked up her phone, remembering what her father said about no one entering Yasuhiro’s room without permission. She began to punch in a familiar number, and she just hoped that Prosecutor Edgeworth would be willing to do her another favor. 

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April 30th, 7:00 AM

Dormitory Room

Kyoko hadn’t slept a wink last night, and based on the noisy chatter that had picked up the second the school opened for the day, neither had anyone else. Kyoko stepped out into the hallway to see the rest of the class (sans Toko, who still hadn’t emerged from her room) surrounding Taka, probably wanting to hear exactly what he’d seen. Kyoko was curious as well, so she headed over. 

“Hey, why don’t ya pricks backup and give him some fuckin’ space!” Mondo’s voice rang out, his face contorted in a fiercely protective snarl. “Do ya guys have any idea how hard seein’ this shit is?!” 

A few members of the class began to mumble apologies, but Taka held up his hand. “I appreciate your concern, kyoudai, but the class has a right to know. After all, Makoto i-was our friend.” Taka’s eyes welled up, but he took a breath, seemingly trying to keep his composure. “I saw Makoto, just past Hiro’s body. He was… covered in blood and holding a knife and-” 

“I suppose you’re the witness, then?” A deep voice cut in. Kyoko’s features lit up in recognition, and she, along with the rest of the class, turned around to face Prosecutor Edgeworth alongside Detective Gumshoe. 

“Yes, sir!” Taka stood up straight. 

“Then I humbly request you cease your testimony. It is important for the security of your reliability as a witness that you don’t give out information before it is asked of you on the witness stand. Your classmates will hear what you have to say in court.” Edgeworth said succinctly. 

“I apologize for my mistakes,” Taka’s face reddened. “I can assure you I am a reliable witness, on my honor as the ultimate moral compass!” He stood up straight, the badges on his uniform taking on a particular shine. Kyoko noted with a fair amount of amusement, that Edgeworth seemed fairly outmatched in terms of enthusiasm. Based on what she’d gathered of him from their limited conversations, Prosecutor Edgeworth was always calm and serious. 

“We’re going to be taking a look at the crime scene here!” Detective Gumshoe bellowed, clearly a bit nervous from all fourteen pairs of eyes being on him and Edgeworth. 

“Yes,” Edgeworth said. “We are truly sorry for the loss of your classmate, and we hope to solve this case as quickly as possible for you all to resume your school lives, and rest assured that we will serve justice.”

“What if you have the wrong guy?” Sayaka raised her hand. “Makoto would never do something like this! How can you serve justice when you have the wrong person? Isn’t he only supposed to be in for questioning?”

“We’ve connected him to the crime scene, pal. We’ve got hard evidence it’s him-” Edgeworth gave Detective Gumshoe a swift elbow to the ribs, but it was too late. The class already began to murmur amongst themselves, worried expressions overtaking their faces. So, the prosecution had decisive evidence? A lump formed in Kyoko’s throat, but she forced it down. This was all the more reason she had to see the crime scene for herself. 

Sayaka’s face fell, but Kyoko could still make out an undeniable fire in her eyes. She still believed in what she said, Kyoko realized. Kyoko wished she could afford to have that much blind faith in a person, but that just wasn’t who she was. She needed hard evidence. 

As the students began to talk, Gumshoe tried to duck under the police tape, already getting tangled within it. Edgeworth tapped Kyoko on the shoulder. “I received your phone call, Ms. Kirigiri. I thought it over and I’ve decided that the prosecution could use a detective of your talents,” he cast an exasperated glance towards Gumshoe, who was still tangled in the tape. “We… could use the help. Besides, this case is important to you, I figured you should have a hand in it, as long as you can promise me that you won’t let your… attachments get in the way of pursuing the truth..” 

“I’m a detective first, and a classmate second,” Kyoko nodded. “I will be unbiased in my search for the truth.” 

Edgeworth returned her nod. “It’s what I’d expect of the ultimate detective. I’ll tell Gumshoe you have permission. Feel free to join us whenever you are ready.” Edgeworth walked over to Detective Gumshoe, freeing him from the tape with a roll of his eyes, and the two men ducked into Hiro’s room. 

Kyoko wanted to go in right away, but she knew there was something she had to do first. Something she’d promised herself she’d do for Makoto, no matter what. Even if he was lying to her, there was no way she’d turn her back completely on him. She wasn’t sure if she believed him, conversely that also meant she wasn’t certain of his guilt as well. Besides, after years of being by her side, he deserved a fighting chance in this case. 

Kyoko began to slip away from the mass of students, and as she neared the dorm’s exit, she was confident she’d escaped them all without detection. However, the ultimate pop sensation and ultimate baseball star proved her wrong. 

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Leon questioned. 

“Kyoko, you have to believe in Makoto too, right?” Sayaka pleaded. “Please, if you’re going to prove his innocence, let me help you! He was my friend even before Hope’s Peak, and I’m not abandoning him! So, wherever you’re going, I insist on coming.” 

“I don’t know what you’re-” 

“We know you’re doing some detective stuff.” Leon sighed, and smoothed back his hair. “Look, you don’t have to tell us exactly what you’re up to, but I-I just need to know the truth. I mean, I could’ve stayed behind with Hiro last night, but I didn’t a-and I think it’s partly my fault that he’s dead. I need to at least be able to be there for this investigation stuff, someone needs to be in this for Hiro’s sake.” 

Clearly, there would be no getting rid of either of these two. Kyoko sighed. It wasn’t exactly like she could blame either of them, and their intentions were good. She supposed that if she was going to be investigating with the prosecution, it couldn’t hurt to have people from Hope’s Peak on the defense. From what she could deduce, neither Leon nor Sayaka stood out as potential suspects. Nobody did, which is what worried her. 

“Fine, come with me, but don’t alert the others. We don’t need any more chaos.” Kyoko paused. “In terms of trust, what happens during this investigation does not leave this group.” Her eyes narrowed. “Are we clear?” 

“Crystal,” Leon nodded. 

“Of course,” Sayaka agreed. 

“Good. Now, we need to catch a bus. After all, Wright and Co. is a bit too far for us to walk there.” The three barely managed to make it out of the dorms before Sayaka stopped in her tracks. 

“Wright and Co?” Sayaka raised an eyebrow. “That sounds kinda familiar.” 

Kyoko nodded, a very small smile began to form on her lips. “You guys remember Maya Fey, right?” They both nodded, obviously confused. “Well, she happens to be the assistant of a rather renowned defense attorney. Makoto’s case seems impossible, which is why I know he’s perfect for the job. He’s got skill, and most importantly, he seems to have a lot of luck.” 

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April 30th, 9:00 AM

Wright and Co. Law Offices

The bus ride to Wright and Co. was silent, all three of them were deep in thought. Kyoko knew she wasn’t one for conversation, but even social butterfly Sayaka was silent. When they’d arrived, the door was closed. 

“Maybe we should knock?” Sayaka asked. 

“Screw this, he’s either here or he’s not!” Before Kyoko could stop him, Leon threw open the door and stormed in. Kyoko shared a tired look with Sayaka, who shook her head before following Leon inside. 

Wright and Co. seemed like a typical office, if you didn’t count the two girls in spirit medium robes, or the various popcorn crumbs littering the floor. Or the TV being on a channel that mainly played children’s television. Phoenix Wright, to his credit, looked fairly embarrassed over the state of his office, but he was looking at Sayaka with a wide eyed gaze. 

“Sayaka Maizono, the pop star?!” he managed to say at last. Kyoko rolled her eyes. She’d at least thought that Mr. Wright worked with enough famous people as to where his initial words would be a bit more professional. Then again, this was the man whose assistants were not even closely related to the law, one of whom wasn’t even 10 years old by the looks of it. He was an odd man, Kyoko thought, odd but very clever. 

Maya Fey, just as enthusiastic as the day Kyoko met her, ran to hug Sayaka, offering a greeting. She was surprised none of the three had asked what they were doing here. However, a biting remark from Leon snapped Maya out of the reverie of a reunion. Suddenly, the confused expression on Mr. Wright’s expression changed, and his eyebrows furrowed in sympathy. He’d clearly picked up on the fact that something was wrong. Kyoko made sure her expression didn’t waver, it was pure instinct taking over, making sure she remained unreadable, even though she knew that Mr. Wright was someone who she could trust. Unless Makoto was guilty. Then, he’d be their greatest threat. It was all a game of “what if.” 

Sayaka’s gentle words cut through. “Leon, they probably don’t know. I wish we could’ve met under happier circumstances.” She turned to Mr. Wright and Maya’s cousin, Pearl. She thanked them for being fans, Mr. Wright awkwardly avoiding eye contact, and Pearl beaming and complementing Sayaka. It was clear that she was starstruck. Kyoko knew that time was ticking, the crime scene was getting colder, so she strode over without a word and flipped on the news. 

The broadcast spat out the facts of the case. She’d known it was likely the case was being broadcast on every major news channel by now, a mysterious murder occuring at Japan’s most prestigious school was going to be all over the place. She’d seen her father trying to handle the media circus as she’d left the school with Leon and Sayaka. Leon shut off the TV in a huff, clearly already at a breaking point with seeing pictures of Hiro and Makoto being broadcast all over. 

Kyoko turned towards Mr. Wright. She was aware of the coolness of her own gaze, she could see Mr. Wright tensing up as she stared him down. She didn’t care. She just needed him to say yes. “We need your help. Makoto needs a defense lawyer, and no one will take his case. Everyone thinks he did it. I know there has to be more to it, and I’ve read about you, how you’ve won impossible cases… surely you could manage one more, correct?” 

“Please, I know Makoto!” Sayaka cut in, with a plea of her own. “He wouldn’t do something like this. I feel like everyone is giving up on him, but I won’t lose hope in him like that! You’ve got to help us, Mr. Wright!” Sayaka’s eyes started to grow watery with tears, and Kyoko saw that her heartfelt plea had gotten to Mr. Wright more than her appeal had. Phoenix Wright was someone who thought with his heart, she’d heard before, and now she knew that to be true. However, before Phoenix could even say a word, Maya jumped in. 

“Of course we’ll help, we’re friends! I’ll make Nick take this case, even if it kills him!” Maya paused. “Besides, I’ve met Makoto once, and he didn’t seem like a murderer to me!” 

Mr. Wright sighed, clearly at a bit of a loss for words. However, after a brief moment, he turned to the group and nodded. “I’ll take your case. If all three of you really believe in Makoto-” 

“I don’t know what to believe,” Leon said with frustration in his voice. “I don’t f-” Leon stopped, suddenly aware of the presence of little Pearl Fey. “I just don’t know. All I know is that Kyoko said you’d help uncover the truth. I need to know who killed Hiro. That’s it.” 

Kyoko’s shoulders tensed with the mention of her name. This was all her idea, and she wasn’t even sure about it, after all, there was the chance that Makoto was guilty. She knew that Mr. Wright was motivated by Sayaka’s heartfelt pleas (and Maya’s nagging) to take the case, but she knew there was a chance that her and Leon’s lack of certainty would hurt their chances. Still, he needed to know the truth if he’d trust them with the information for the case, she reasoned. “I don’t know either. I just wanted to make sure Makoto has a good lawyer, one that I know would defend him.” Her face softened, ever so slightly. “He deserves that much, at least.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll defend Makoto and avenge Hiro! Let’s go to the detention center!” Before Kyoko could say another word, Maya grabbed her arm and began to drag her from the room with a surprising amount of vigor. 

“Don’t worry, Kyoko! We’ll save Makoto’s butt! I totally knew this was your idea, way before Leon even said!” Maya grinned, still holding Kyoko’s arm. 

“How’s that?” Kyoko asked. 

“Simple. You like him too much to not think of a plan with that detective brain of yours. Besides, you told me about Makoto’s desire to be in law and stuff, and talked about him maybe getting some kind of job working for us.” Maya’s expression went from enthusiastic to sensitive as she released Kyoko’s arm, but held onto her gloved hand, giving it an encouraging squeeze. “We’ll help you. It’s what friends do.” 

Kyoko almost felt a smile at the corner of her lips. She’d only met Maya a few times, and the girl already considered them friends. She didn’t know about the fact that Kyoko normally never made friends on her own, or that most people found her too cold on an initial impression to try and befriend without Makoto as a buffer. Maya didn’t even know about her lingering doubts about Makoto, or the fact that she wasn’t even going to be working with them. It made her feel slightly better, to know that Maya liked her. She hadn’t thought that someone as bubbly and happy and Maya would like to be around her. If only, Kyoko thought, if only the circumstances around their reunion had been different. Maybe, they could’ve really been friends, because Kyoko knew after Maya saw her working on the opposite side, going against Makoto despite his kindness, she wouldn’t want to be friends at all. It was a bandaid that Kyoko knew she’d have to rip off, no matter how unpleasant. For now, she let Maya grab her hand and talk excitedly about their defense, blissfully unaware of Kyoko’s thoughts. 

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April 30th, 10:00 AM

Detention Center, Visitor’s Room

Kyoko hadn’t expected any of her classmates that she’d left behind to leave the school. She figured they’d be hanging around, aching for any sort of answers they could gleam from this tragedy. Whether it would be for their own satisfaction or a desire to honor Hiro’s memory honestly depended on the person. So, when she saw Chihiro Fujisaki chatting with Makoto, the programmer anxiously typing into Alter Ego, she was surprised any of them had thought to come to the detention center. “Chihiro, what are you doing here?” 

The little programmer leapt up with an almost comic jolt, before explaining that a large section of the class had worked out a visitation system to make sure Makoto was never alone. Sayaka complimented Chihiro on the thoughtfulness of the idea, and introduced him to Mr. Wright and Pearl. Kyoko couldn’t deny she felt relieved at knowing that Makoto would never be alone in the detention center if possible. Even if the class didn’t believe in his innocence, they weren’t ready to abandon him like that. It just spoke to Makoto’s likability. Even as a murder suspect, people still wanted to be by his side. It was heartwarming, but Kyoko recognized the danger in that kind of power as well. If he was guilty, he still had sway over the class. She didn’t want to admit he still had credibility in her eyes, too. That’s why she had to be on her guard, she couldn’t let her feelings get in the way this time. Those feelings of warmth may have caused her to overlook clues about a possible hidden agenda of Makoto’s. Maybe she was overthinking again, and throwing away one of the most important relationships in her life. She stopped herself. Now was not the time to get in her own head. 

Chihiro had been rambling on to Pearl, who was seemingly technologically unaware, about programming, before realizing he was taking away from the investigation, and quickly scrambling away. Kyoko looked at Makoto’s face. He looked exhausted, he’d probably been searched and questioned all night, and she doubted the detention facilities were comfortable. Still, despite the undeniable slouch in his posture and overall deflated demeanor, there was still a spark of hope visible in him. She didn’t think that anyone could have that kind of hope in a place as dismal as the detention center, swathed in its monotone greys and stocked with stoic guards. 

“Makoto, I’ve brought your lawyer.” Makoto perked up, his posture straightening up. As he made eye contact with her, Kyoko felt her heart twist into a pretzel. It was like he’d been given a second wind when he’d looked at her, and it pained her to see how happy he was to see her. He probably thought she was here because she was going to be helping defend him. She didn’t want to be the cause of even more grief for him. She felt a heat rising to her cheeks. She had to leave, investigate the crime scene. That would clear her head, and hopefully clear up the buzz of conflicting thoughts in her head. 

“I knew I could count on you!” Makoto smiled at her. “You believe in me, right?” 

As if she was on autopilot, Kyoko found the words leaving her lips before she could even stop them. “I don’t know what I believe, Makoto. I’m a detective. I’ll decide what I believe when I investigate the crime scene myself. I’ve gotten permission from the prosecution to aid them. I merely accompanied Mr. Wright, along with Leon and Sayaka, who insisted on coming-” She could feel everyone’s gazes turned towards her, but she continued. “-to make sure he took this case. I have to go now. Goodbye.” 

As soon as the words left Kyoko’s lips, she regretted them. You believe me, right? Such a simple question, and Makoto needed her support. After years of helping, maybe she could’ve given him that spark of hope. A little white lie, to help Makoto get through the day. Instead, she’d told him the truth, the ugly truth. She always thought that the truth was the right thing to say, no matter what. When people asked her for her opinion, she’d always state her true feelings, no matter how harsh they were. A brief look back to the looks of disbelief on Maya and Mr.Wright’s faces, and the pitying look on Sayaka’s put that belief to bed really quickly. She saw Makoto’s face fall, and that was enough to break her heart. She’d tried to tell herself that he could be manipulating them, but that look just felt so real, and it was her fault. She’d crushed an integral part of his hope. Cold and robotic, was something she’d often been called before. The reason she never had friends before Hope’s Peak. She tried to shake the feeling of regret and guilt that was creeping all over her as she left the detention center. She couldn’t look at the group, and she knew that this moment would come, and it would be unpleasant, perhaps resulting in the group thinking less of her. What she wasn’t prepared for was the intensity of her guilt, and the feeling of heartache in her chest. She didn’t think she’d care what the group would think, or that Makoto’s reaction would get to her like it did. 

She cared, she realized as the expressions of the group burned into her mind. She cared so much, and it tore her up inside, but she forced those feelings down like so many times before, like swallowing a bowling ball. She’d made a promise to search for the truth, and now more than ever, she had to go in with a clear head, and a clear heart. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 30th, 10:35 AM

Dormitory Hallway

Despite repeating to herself that she was going into this investigation unburdened and unattached, Kyoko knew that wasn’t true. Makoto’s betrayed look haunted her all the way back to Hope’s Peak. The looks of disbelief on Mr. Wright and Maya’s faces, as if she was heartless, plagued her mind as she entered the main gate and made her way to the dorms. 

The dorms were still full, the students milling about as close to Yasuhiro’s room as they could get without actually being inside, hoping to get any sort of information they could. Kyoko walked past them to the room, where Edgeworth was just emerging. 

“Miss Kirigiri, I was worried for a moment you wouldn’t be joining us after all. I regret to say that I’ll be taking my leave of the crime scene for now, so it will just be you and Detective Gumshoe.” 

“So, wait, if Kyoko gets to go in, do we get to go inside too?” Junko popped up behind Edgeworth, a mischievous grin adorning her features. Junko seemed to have cheered up considerably since the start of the day, though Kyoko reasoned, the fashionista had always been odd. She had a way of expressing herself, while seemingly sunny, actually tended to put a lot of people on edge, or just creep them out. Other times though, she could be ridiculously charming, people flocked to her natural charisma, but her almost unnatural demeanor countered it at times. In the sea of her classmates' various personality quirks, Kyoko had grown used to it. Based on his grimace, Prosecutor Edgeworth was not accustomed to the uniqueness that was Junko Enoshima. 

“Yes, Junko does raise a point.” Byakuya barged into the conversation. “Why does Kyoko get to investigate? I would think she is too biased. I believe that if one of us gets to investigate, we all should.” Kyoko rolled her eyes at Byakuya’s statement. She knew that if he were the one who was allowed in the crime scene, he wouldn’t give the rest of the class a second thought. 

Edgeworth sighed, and turned to face Byakuya and Junko. Kyoko couldn’t help but notice that both Byakuya and Edgeworth carried themselves in a similar way, both stood in a manner that screamed refinement and seriousness, but Byakuya had an overconfident air that Edgeworth didn’t seem to have. “Mr. Togami, Miss Enoshima, I regret to inform you both that Miss Kirigiri is a detective. Detectives look at crime scenes and help us prosecutors deduce the truth of a case. Neither of you are detectives, and will only serve to muddy the waters. Miss Kirigiri was considerate enough to ask my permission, and based on my talks with her, I believe her to be as naturally unbiased in her pursuit of the truth as any detective.” Edgeworth straightened out, and Kyoko could see a hint of smugness in his posture. Maybe he was more like Byakuya than she originally thought, though she’d like to think better of him than that. “Now, I have more important things to do than debate with a mere heir and a fashion model.” 

“Mere heir?! Don’t you know-” Byakuya trailed off, as it was clear Edgeworth was done talking to him, and was already walking away. 

Edgeworth strode down the hallway to where Taka was standing, talking to Mondo and Chihiro. “Mr. Ishimaru, it’s time I took your testimony. We’ll be going outside, away from prying eyes and ears.” Taka nodded as he set off with Edgeworth, and everyone’s gazes left Kyoko and trained on Edgeworth and Taka. 

Kyoko faced Chihiro, who clutched his laptop to his chest. “Chihiro, could you somehow get Alter Ego to print out a layout of the dorms and a map of Hope’s Peak?” she asked. “I believe it will aid the investigation.” 

“Of course!” Chihiro said, flipping open his laptop. “It will take some time, though,” he said. 

“That’s fine. Just deliver them to Hiro’s room when you’re ready.” 

“I don’t really want to go in…” Chihiro’s expression fell, and he looked close to tears again. “I don’t want to see all that blood, and think about poor Hiro like that.”

Kyoko nodded. “I understand. Just knock, and we’ll get the papers so you don’t have to step foot inside.” 

Chihiro nodded, and Kyoko walked to Hiro’s room. Kyoko slipped inside Yasuhiro’s room and shut the door, not before sneaking a quick glance at Byakuya and Junko. The former was stewing in the indignity of getting snubbed by Edgeworth, presumably because Edgeworth’s words had minced him with a condescending brand of confidence Byakuya was used to dishing out to others, but not receiving. Kyoko couldn’t help but feel satisfied in seeing his face. 

Junko, on the other hand, seemingly took it in stride, saying “It was worth a shot! No wonder he’s the demon prosecutor. What an uppity jerk. ” with a shrug, heading over to where Mukuro was standing. Kyoko sighed in relief as she shut the door. Finally, it was time to start investigating. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 30th 10:42 AM

Yasuhiro’s Room

“Hey, pal! You made it!” Detective Gumshoe waved her over. “Here, you’re going to need this, first of all.” He handed her a manila folder reading: Autopsy Report-Yasuhiro Hagakure. Kyoko flipped it open and began to read through it. There were several things that immediately caught her eye, and her mind began to race. 

“Detective,” she started. “The autopsy says that Yasuhiro suffered from head trauma, but he died from blood loss from wounds in his stomach and abdomen. Why would the killer hit him over the head just to stab him in the stomach, and what would they use to hit him?” At that point, Kyoko’s questions were less so directed at Detective Gumshoe, and more so her own wonderings. 

Detective Gumshoe’s face furrowed. “Your guess is as good as mine, pal. According to the autopsy, the victim died from stab wounds of different lengths. The killer’s strikes were inconsistent. Maybe… maybe the victim fought back!” 

Kyoko’s brow furrowed, and she nodded. “If Yasuhiro fought back, maybe the hit to the head was to disorient him, and maybe that’s why the killer’s strikes are inconsistent. But… if that was the case, why didn’t anyone hear him? Wouldn’t he have screamed?” 

Detective Gumshoe frowned. “You’ve got a point, pal. I don’t know why he wouldn’t scream.”

A glint on the floor caught Kyoko’s eye, and she kneeled down to inspect it. There were purple shards littered over a rather large bloodstain on the floor. A few miscellaneous white pieces lay intertwined with the purple shards. Kyoko scanned the room again, and she snapped her fingers with recognition. 

“Detective, you haven’t taken anything out of this room, right?” 

“No way, pal. That would be disturbing the crime scene!” 

“Well, for as long as I can remember, the victim always had a crystal ball-”

“-Like some sort of psychic?” Detective Gumshoe scratched his head. “Wasn’t he a, uh, um…” 

“Clairvoyant,” Kyoko finished. “His talent involved him predicting future events using his crystal ball and tarot cards. However… it was rare that any of his predictions actually came true.” 

“So, he was a fraud, then?” 

“No,” Kyoko crossed her arms. “He actually had a gift. Thirty percent is better than zero, I suppose. I never thought the fortune telling is where his gift really was, actually.”

“Then what-” 

“-Detective,” Kyoko interrupted, not in the mood for reminiscing. “We’re getting off topic. The point is, I believe these shards are proof that the crystal ball was the object used to injure Yasuhiro. Take a look at this shard.” Detective Gumshoe squinted at the tiny shard in her hand. “There appears to be a fleck of blood on it, probably from his head. If you examine the other pieces, there is probably blood on them as well.” 

“Woah, you’re probably right, pal!” Detective Gumshoe’s face broke out into a grin. “I thought the victim had just dropped a cup or something!” 

Kyoko sighed. “I suppose you wouldn’t have known, detective.” Kyoko moved across the room to where Yasuhiro kept his posters. There was the typical one with the palm reading methods, an ad for a fortune teller, a conspiracy theorist anonymous, but there was one that caught her eye even more. The flyer read: Oh! Cult, and on the poster were two women wearing similar outfits to the ones Maya and Pearl wore. Kyoko remembered, when Maya had come to the school, Hiro had been the one to recognize her and bring her, knowing of her spiritual abilities. The odd thing was, the flyer advertised spirit mediums as an occult group, and she knew of Yasuhiro’s distaste for the occult. 

“Detective,” she called over. “Is the Kurain Channeling technique considered occult?” 

“Depends on who you ask, pal. Some people think of it as raising the dead, and others see it as spiritual, a way of reaching out into the afterlife and stuff.” He looked at the flyer, and his eyes went wide with recognition. “Hazuraka Temple! I’ve been there!” He laughed. “After what happened, I’m surprised they’re still doing visits!” 

Kyoko turned towards Detective Gumshoe. “What do you mean by that?”

“You don’t know? I’d think you’d know, being a detective and all. The case was recently, too! It was all over the place!” Detective Gumshoe’s shoulders slumped. “Sorry, pal. I didn’t mean to say-” 

“-It’s alright. I’m not insulted. I’m aware of many of Phoenix Wright’s cases… I must just be forgetting it. I apologize, Detective. It’s… nevermind.” Kyoko put the flyer back on the wall. “It’s not important. Let’s just get back to examining the room.” 

“Hey, are you sure you’re up for this, pal?” Detective Gumshoe gave her a sympathetic glance, and his face fell. “I-I just realized that Makoto was that one guy that you met up with after the Prince case. You seemed to really like him.” 

Kyoko grimaced, this conversation was already going to places she wasn’t sure she was ready for. However, she realized that if anyone could help her right now, it was Detective Gumshoe. After all, when they’d first met, he’d been investigating Maggey Byrde’s case. It was a similar predicament now, and he’d gone through the doubt of having someone he cared about on the stand twice. 

“When Maggey Byrde was on the stand… how did you separate yourself? How did you investigate a scene where the clues seemed to point to her, listen to testimony that implicated her, yet still have faith?” Kyoko looked down at the floor, unable to meet the other detective’s sympathetic gaze. 

“If I’m being honest pal,” Detective Gumshoe adjusted the pen behind his ear, before looking at Kyoko. “I didn’t separate myself. I don’t think I could’ve done that! I cared about Maggey too much, so when I looked at the crime scene and collected clues, I had to still believe! Despite what I found, I had to hold out hope that she was innocent, and just had to have hope that Mr. Wright would do right by her!” His shoulders slumped, looking at her expression. “I can tell… that wasn’t what you wanted to hear, pal. I just think that… if you really care about someone, it would be impossible to be totally separated, that’s all.” 

“He asked me if I believed in him. I said I didn’t know.” Kyoko muttered. “I was detached enough to say that, but-” 

“-I don’t think you’re heartless or anything, pal! You just need to see the facts, and you’re dedicated to the truth, Prosecutor Edgeworth is the same way!” Detective Gumshoe said, almost yelling the encouragement. She had to admit, she found herself thinking that she was similar to Prosecutor Edgeworth at times, and he was called the Demon Prosecutor. He had a reputation for being harsh and frigid. Of course, he’d be the person she was most like. 

She forced a nod, despite the sinking feeling. “Thank you, detective.” Detective Gumshoe looked at her with a skeptical look on his face, and she could tell that he knew she was still upset. She turned towards the outline of Yashuiro’s body, wanting to change the subject before Detective Gumshoe could press her further. It had been foolish to bring it up. 

“Why is Yasuhiro’s body outline over here, by the wall?” She asked. “Shouldn’t he be over where the shards are?” 

“Well, that’s where the police found him, pal. Him and Makoto. Why would he be over with the shards?” 

“Well, I’d have to investigate the room to make sure, but the majority of the blood is here. That points to the possibility that Yasuhiro fell here instead, and was moved… wait, where is the murder weapon?” 

“It’s here, pal.” Detective Gumshoe held up an evidence bag with a peculiar knife. Something about it seemed almost familiar. “Before you ask, we had it tested for prints. It… had Makoto’s prints all over. No one else’s.” 

Kyoko examined the knife. “There is no doubt Makoto picked up the knife, but there is a possibility that the killer could’ve picked it up too.” 

“Could the killer have been wearing gloves?”

“Exactly. If the killer left the knife at the crime scene, they were probably counting on the possibility that someone would pick it up, thus getting their prints all over it.” Kyoko felt lighter all of a sudden. A path to Makoto’s innocence was becoming clearer the longer she investigated the crime scene. The inconsistencies were starting to pile up. 

“Hey, don’t touch that, pal!” Detective Gumshoe had turned away and promptly stormed over to where Phoenix Wright was standing, with Maya, Sayaka, and Leon in tow. Kyoko followed, and she found it odd that the Hazuraka flyer was the first thing he’d noticed. Maybe he had a hunch that would be important later. 

“From what I’ve gathered, Mr. Wright has played an investigative role in the past. He’s probably used to it.” Kyoko said, a hint of amusement creeping into her voice. Mr. Wright was anything if not conventional, but she wondered if they were still thinking about the detention center incident. “Now, I’m going back to the investigation.” 

Kyoko left and began to examine the blood stains again as Mr. Wright and the group talked with Detective Gumshoe. It wasn’t right. The bloodstain where Yasuhiro had supposedly fallen against the wall was too small. The amount of blood by the shards was much more appropriate for that kind of injury. It didn’t make any sense for Makoto to bother to move Yasuhiro, in time he could’ve spent fleeing the scene of the crime. 

She turned back to listen in on the conversation, and saw that Detective Gumshoe was presenting the knife with Makoto’s prints. He could see their faces fall, and she knew what she believed now. Based on the evidence, there was room for doubt, more room than she’d thought possible. “No,” she said authoritatively, as she joined the group. “Even if the knife has Makoto’s prints, it doesn’t mean he did it.” 

“Hey, weren’t you the one who said you didn’t know what you believed?” Leon crossed his arms and stared at her. 

“I needed to see for myself, but from what I’ve gathered, there is reason for doubt.” Kyoko gestured to the bloodstains on the floor, and began to explain what she’d deduced earlier. She bade the group to examine the blood and shards with her, and she could see Mr. Wright’s brows furrow with understanding as she explained. That bode well, hopefully he could use this in his defense. Maya, Leon, and Sayaka looked like they followed as well, which meant that her deductions must have merit, if it didn’t take a law degree to understand them. Detective Gumshoe just looked impressed, almost proud of her. 

“Smart as always, pal!” Detective Gumshoe gave her a thumbs up. “They don’t call you the ultimate detective for nothing, huh?” 

“Thank you, detective. I was merely making a logical deduction. I’m sure Mr. Wright could’ve come to the same logical conclusion as well.” Kyoko bowed her head in formal thanks, she wasn’t one to brag. She did take a bit of satisfaction in everyone’s rather stunned looks at the end of her deductions. 

Phoenix Wright’s eyes darted suddenly, to a corner of the room. Without warning, he strode over, and picked up a card. Kyoko joined the others as they crowded around him. The card read: justice, and on it was a bloody M, and a drawing of something indistinguishable. Her eyes never left the card, despite the fact that Leon and Sayaka had started talking, she drowned them out. She looked harder at the card, and a certain shape started to form, from a lumpy ball to-her heart stopped and she pursed her lips. It couldn’t be. 

“That drawing could be… hmmm..” She crossed her arms, not sure if she suddenly wanted to cast doubt on Makoto after just showing how he could be innocent. Unfortunately, Maya had seen it too. 

“It kinda looks like a clover, with the bumps and stuff,” she said. “I don’t get why-” 

“-He’s the ultimate lucky student, that’s why.” Kyoko’s hands curled into fists. The most probable explanation was definitely not ideal. “This and the M, it could be Hiro’s way of telling us.”

“If it even is his handwriting, it could be a forgery.” Sayaka said, trying to clear the new cloud of suspicion cast over Makoto. 

Kyoko knew that wasn’t true. That M was impeccably neat, despite the circumstances, and Hiro’s handwriting had always been neat. They had a whole stack of notes on his desk to prove it. Of course, Detective Gumshoe did just that, showing Mr. Wright one of the notes on Hiro’s desk that he’d written. However, Mr. Wright didn’t merely nod or accept it, instead he read over the note, and his eyes widened. 

“This note, it’s a reminder from Hiro that Makoto is coming. It says he left his door unlocked.” Mr. Wright crossed his arms. “That means anyone could’ve come in before Makoto, even from outside the school, no handbook needed.” 

Kyoko’s mind began to race as well. She remembered her point earlier, about the killer leaving the knife as bait. Suddenly, that possibility was opening up again, but it clashed with the justice card. There was evidence for and against Makoto, and it was frustrating that she couldn’t make it fit together. 

Gumshoe piped up. “I don’t know, pal. We’ve got a virtual log here from the headmaster detailing if any visitors came to the school. It says that no one from the outside was authorized that night.” 

“It isn’t a guarantee, detective. There are ways around that list.” Kyoko pointedly looked at Maya, who grinned and blushed. Clearly, everyone but Detective Gumshoe knew about Maya getting smuggled into the school, based on his confused expression, and varying degrees of guilt on everyone else’s faces. 

“You lost me, pal,” he said. 

“We have to finish our investigation and prepare the detective’s statement,” Kyoko stated, ignoring his last remark. “I’m sure you have the evidence you need regardless. Well, I suppose you can have this.” Kyoko moved over to where the Oh! Cult poster was hanging, and plucked it off the wall, handing it to Mr.Wright. The fact that he’d been drawn to the poster first definitely meant he could use it. Maybe he’d seen something she missed. She gave him a knowing look, and he nodded as he took the poster and left. 

Now, it was just her and Detective Gumshoe again. She appraised the evidence they’d already collected, the autopsy report, the flyer (now in the possession of Phoenix Wright), the shards, and the blood stains. “Detective, did you bring a camera?” 

Detective Gumshoe nodded and rustled around in the pockets of his shabby trench coat. “Here it is, pal! Prosecutor Edgeworth said something about photographing the scene if necessary, but I hadn’t done that yet. You want to do the honors?” 

“Sure.” Kyoko took the camera from Detective Gumshoe and snapped pictures, one of the blood stains on the middle of the room, the small stain against the wall, and one of the whole room. She handed the camera back to him. “We should get these processed.” 

“Don’t worry, pal! I’m on it! As soon as we’re done here, I’ll rush these, along with that virtual log, down to criminal affairs to be submitted as evidence!” 

“Whichever one of us is testifying to the court tomorrow will have to present the photos,” Kyoko crossed her arms. “If it’s alright with you, detective, I’d like to be the one to testify.” 

“You sure, pal?” He looked pensive. “This is evidence for the prosecution, after all, and if it’s used to put Makoto away, then you might think it was your fault or something, and I don’t want that. It’s hard testifying against someone you care about, even if it’s just stating facts.” 

“I’m testifying because I care, detective. I can handle it. I want to testify because…” she took a deep breath, weighing her words heavily. “I believe in him. There is evidence for and against him, that is just a fact, which I will be presenting.Your thoughts about it helping to convict him is true, and I wouldn’t want that, but on the other hand, if it helps to prove Makoto’s innocence, then I’d want the testimony to come from me.” 

Detective Gumshoe smiled. “That’s real nice of you, pal. That testimony is your way of showing you care, and you’re dedicated to the truth. I’ll tell Edgeworth that you’re testifying in my place! I won’t let him refuse!” 

Kyoko smiled, just for a brief moment. “Thank you, detective. It means a lot.” Detective Gumshoe may not be the greatest detective in the universe, Kyoko reasoned, but his heart was definitely in the right place. “Do we have any other evidence?” 

“Yeah, pal. A statement from the headmaster about the rules of the school and stuff.” Kyoko looked it over, reading over the basic curfew rules and camera placements. “The gate closes around 10 PM, and the victim died at around 9:50. If the killer was from the outside, that gives him a really small window of time to get away, pal.”

Kyoko placed a gloved hand pensively under her chin. “Exactly. It makes it seem improbable that the killer could get away. I was by the main gate, and I didn’t see anyone. However, they could’ve slipped out during the window in which the police arrested Makoto, the gate was open.” 

“How would they hide from the cameras, pal?” 

“I don’t know. Tomorrow’s testimony in court should raise these questions, and point us in the direction we need to go in terms of investigation.” Kyoko looked at Detective Gumshoe. ‘Hopefully, Mr. Wright will buy us another day of investigation, and if he does, we can investigate knowing what the court needs to see.” 

Detective Gumshoe nodded. “Yeah, pal. I don’t know, though. Prosecutor Edgeworth seems confident we can close this case, but I’ve learned never to count Wright out of anything. It’s going to be exciting, tomorrow, well, besides Makoto potentially going to jail,” he crossed his arms. “What I mean is that any time Mr. Wright and Edgeworth face off in court, it’s always a battle!” 

“So I’ve heard. I’ll admit I’m curious to see them in action.” Kyoko heard footsteps nearing, and she tensed up, hoping that it wasn’t going to be anyone trying to barge their way into the crime scene. Instead, Prosecutor Edgeworth entered, with an out of breath Chihiro following, handing him a stack of papers before running off, making sure not to step foot in the room. 

“Thank you,” Prosecutor Edgeworth called out to a retreating Chihiro. 

“Here, she said that you requested these, Ms. Kirigiri. Since it has been a while since I’ve checked in on the investigation, I figured I’d deliver them myself.” 

“What is it?” Detective Gumshoe took the papers. “Oh, it’s a map, and these are the dorms! What are these red dots?” 

“Those are where the cameras are in the hallway,” Kyoko explained. Detective Gumshoe and Edgeworth nodded as she drew in their lines of sight. “These are where the cameras cover. Anything not shaded in is a blind spot.” 

“It appears that there are several of them.” Edgeworth observed. “I could use this. This case is looking more assured by the minute.”

“Hey, I don’t know, sir. Kyoko has brought up some inconsistencies with the crime scene, and you know that Mr. Wright always has something up his sleeve.” Detective Gumshoe crossed his arms. 

“I am aware that Wright has a penchant for clever and unconventional contradictions. However, the witness testimony is rather decisive, and based on his reputation as the ultimate moral compass, I doubt there will be any lies for Wright to discover like he does.” Edgeworth turned towards Kyoko. “As for these contradictions, Ms. Kirigiri, I would be quite curious as to know what they are.” 

Kyoko knew she had a choice here. If she told Edgeworth, it could lead to Mr. Wright losing ground in court, when he needed every inch he could get. Also, Edgeworth was right about Taka, his title would definitely put the prosecution ahead in the court’s eyes in terms of credibility, well assuming none of them knew about his grandfather, but there wasn’t a reason to bring that up. On the other hand, he’d been generous in allowing her to assist in the investigation, and she guessed that he’d be able to tell if she held back. 

“Hey, you can see in court!” Detective Gumshoe burst out. “Kyoko has volunteered to present the information for the prosecution tomorrow!” 

“What? Detective, I thought you were testifying.” Edgeworth crossed his arms. “Why the change?” 

“I wanted to testify. This case is important to me, prosecutor. I want to fund the truth, and I want to be a part of uncovering that truth. Please, allow me to testify. I will be factual and succinct. My goal is to find the truth. I’d never lie about that.” Kyoko looked at Edgeworth, and he returned her gaze. It was like a silent battle of wills, until finally, Edgeworth’s gaze softened. 

“Very well. I see your dedication, and I understand this case’s importance, as your debut, and it concerns your very school and classmates. I will allow it. Don’t make me regret it.” He offered his hand, and Kyoko shook it. 

“I promise, sir.” 

“Now then, I believe it is time for Detective Gumshoe and I to head to criminal affairs and process the evidence. Tomorrow, you will meet us in the courtroom to be prepped for testimony. Come early. And… thank you for your assistance, Ms. Kirigiri.” Prosecutor Edgeworth turned and left, Detective Gumshoe shooting Kyoko a smile and a wave as he followed. Kyoko gave him a grateful smile and waved back. He’d definitely done her a favor, and now she was going to testify. She just hoped it would help Makoto. Speaking of, she figured it was time to pay him a visit. She had a few things to say to him.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 30th, 2:20 PM

Hope’s Peak- Main Gate

When Kyoko got out to the main gate, she saw Leon and Sayaka walking over to her, Sayka waving her over with a polite smile. 

“Kyoko!” She exclaimed as she got closer, and Kyoko curiously eyed the bundle of flowers in Sayaka’s hand. 

“Flowers? Who gave you those?” Kyoko asked. 

Sayaka giggled. “Pearl did. She’s very sweet, and I promised her that I’d sit next to her in court tomorrow. Though, I do wonder where she got these.” 

“Does that mean you guys split up?” 

“Yeah,” Leon said. “Pearl went off with Chihiro and Mondo to get those papers from Alter Ego. Whatever you asked him to do, Mr. Wright has those same papers. Y’know-” Leon sighed. “I know I was kind of a jerk before, and I got short with you. I’m sorry. You really knew what you were doing, even if I didn’t realize it. That Phoenix Wright guy is pretty legit. I think he’s got a real chance, even if Makoto’s innocence isn’t proven yet. I think he’ll find the truth.” 

Kyoko nodded. “You’re grieving. I understand. You and Yasuhiro were good friends. I know I come across as… insensitive at times. I’m sorry as well.” 

“No, you were just doing your job, being a detective and all. It’s got to be hard for you too, considering how close you and Makoto are… or were.” Leon crossed his arms, and raised an eyebrow. “You know, the fact that Mr. Wright has no idea about Toko’s whole deal, or even that Chihiro is a boy… he really doesn’t know what he’s gotten himself into, huh?” Leon grinned. “If he ever finds that stuff out, I want to be there to see his face!” 

Sayaka laughed too, and Kyoko couldn’t help but smile. It was comforting to see her classmates start to regain a bit of their spirit. She supposed being along for the investigation, Sayaka getting to see that Makoto was going to have a chance, and Leon knowing that both sides were working hard to uncover the truth was good for them, it had given them the hope they needed. In fact, she believed that the investigation had given her hope back too, and along with it, a renewed faith in Makoto. 

“I’m going to the detention center,” Kyoko said.

“You’re going to visit Makoto again?” Sayaka asked. 

“Yes, and I need to do it alone. I need to tell him that I have faith in him. It’s what he needs to hear… and it’s the truth.” Kyoko said. Leon nodded, and Sayaka grinned. 

“I knew you’d come around!” Sayaka said. “This investigation helped me confirm my belief in Makoto, and it did the same thing for you, right?” 

“Yes, I just hope he’d still want to see me. He might not like that-” 

“-He’d love to see you!” Sayaka said with a bounce. “No matter what, Makoto will always like you! I see it in his face whenever he talks about you, and there’s a reason he’s always so engrossed when you talk about your detective stuff! He likes you so much, Kyoko! He was hurt, but I think he knows that you’d never abandon him, after all, you’re the one who brought Phoenix Wright to him!” 

Kyoko blushed. “He’s probably just engrossed because he’s interested in law enforcement as well-” 

“-Nope! My psychic senses tell me it’s more than that!” Sayaka smiled. “You know, for two people who are great at telling how others are feeling, you’re both surprisingly clueless. Anyway, we’ll catch up with you after your visit!” 

Kyoko blushed at Sayaka’s comment, and Leon’s knowing smirk as he elbowed a giggling Sayaka as they walked away. What do they know, Kyoko thought with a roll of her eyes, yet she still had a blush on her face. Hopefully, at the very least, Sayaka was right about Makoto still wanting to see her. It wouldn’t hurt if she were right about his interest in her as well, Kyoko decided with a small smile. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

April 30th, 3:05 PM

Detention Center, Visitor’s Room

Kyoko ducked behind the doorway as Mr. Wright, Maya, and Pearl left the visitor’s room. She didn’t feel like talking to them just yet, though she could make out what they were saying. 

“This case isn’t going to be easy,” Mr. Wright said. 

“Since when is it ever easy for you, Nick?” Maya grinned and elbowed Mr. Wright, who winced as Pearl giggled. 

“Well, we’re going to do our best no matter what tomorrow, for Makoto.” Mr. Wright said with a grin. 

“For Makoto!” Pearl and Maya echoed, and the three left the room, seemingly in high spirits. Kyoko’s lips curled into a small smile. She knew she’d made the right choice. Based on Maya’s words, she’d described Mr. Wright as having a very similar spirit as Makoto, hopeful in the worst of times, and it was relieving to see that her instinct to believe that endorsement paid off. 

Kyoko entered and sat down in front of Makoto. His eyes widened as he saw her, and she could see him biting back a smile, as if he was trying not to get his hopes up. 

“You came back,” he said. “To be honest, I didn’t know if you would. I was getting worried because visiting hours are almost over for the day.”

“How long do we have?” Kyoko asked. 

“Just over twenty minutes, I believe.” Makoto said. “Why’d you come back? I thought you said you were investigating with the prosecution-” 

“-I believe in you.” The words left Kyoko’s lips before she could stop them. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier. I looked at the crime scene, and I realized… there is so much that didn’t add up, but I should’ve believed in you from the start.”

“You left before I could tell you,” Makoto finally smiled, and Kyoko felt her heart race. “I said I understood. I know you, Kyoko. I wanted you to believe in me, but I knew that there was a high chance you’d be skeptical, that’s who you are… but I never doubted that you cared about me. There’s a few pieces of proof that are pretty indicative of that.” 

Kyoko crossed her arms, and raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What is that evidence, Makoto?” She allowed herself to smile, and Makoto’s grin seemed to grow even wider. 

“Well, first of all, it was you that first contacted Mr. Wright. Without you, I’d be a goner for sure. No sane lawyer would’ve taken this case.” 

“Are you calling Mr. Wright insane?” Kyoko nearly laughed. 

“Nope, I’m just saying he’s got a lot more spirit than your average lawyer.” Makoto remarked with a chuckle. “And for the second clue, your tie. You normally wear your orange one, but you’re wearing the lavender tie I got you for your first official investigation a few years ago. You wouldn’t have worn it if you didn’t care for me anymore. You wanted to believe in me, Kyoko. You just needed to see it for your own eyes first.” Makoto crossed his arms. “The proof is indisputable. You really care about me, and our friendship is still as intact as ever… that means a lot to me. It helps to give me the hope to stick it out here!” 

Kyoko’s brow furrowed. “How can you say that, though? I doubted you, I’m with the prosecution, and you understand? We’ve been friends for years, and… you and I have a bond. One that I shouldn’t have questioned. After all, you have a similar bond with Sayaka, and she never waivered.” 

Makoto looked at her with an unusual intensity. “You’re just doing your job, and the way I see it, you aren’t working against me. The prosecution is just trying to find the truth, like the defense, and the truth is that it isn’t me! You and Sayaka are two different people, she thinks with her heart, you think with your head, and neither is a bad thing! It just means she’s quicker to come to a decision like belief! You aren’t a bad person for questioning things, it’s what makes you smart, and it’s one of the things I like about you!” Makoto’s impression softened, and he smiled, a faint blush adorning his cheeks. “Besides, I wouldn’t expect our bond to break so easily, I’d fight to keep you by my side. I wouldn’t want to truly lose you. I’d miss you too much.” 

Kyoko’s face reddened, and she looked down at the floor, before meeting a blushing Makoto’s gaze. Makoto looked at her, and she could see the gears in his brain turning. 

“Whatever you’re going to say, just say it. I can tell when something is on your mind.” Kyoko said. 

“Well, if you’re with the prosecution, does that mean you’re testifying tomorrow?” Makoto asked. 

“You need to stop hanging around Sayaka, I think she’s passing her psychic powers onto you.” Kyoko said with a smile. 

“Maybe Hiro’s lending me his clairvoyance from beyond the grave,” Makoto laughed. “I figured you would, though.” 

“Visiting hours are over!” A guard shouted. “Say your last goodbyes!” 

“I’m your friend, Makoto. Tomorrow, and the day after, I will fight for you. I’ll testify about the evidence, but I’ll look for answers. I won’t let you get convicted, no matter my allegiance. I promise you I’ll find the truth.” 

Makoto nodded, but Kyoko noted that his smile was gone. She frowned too, wouldn’t he want her to find the truth? Makoto got up as the guard began to approach them. 

“Kyoko,” he began. “No matter what, please trust in our class. I believe in them!” 

Before Kyoko could even nod, or ask him what he meant, or who specifically he was talking about, Makoto was led away by that guard. She was glad that Makoto and her were back on good terms, but now, new questions plagued her mind. Did Makoto know something about the true culprit, and if he did, why was he protecting them? Kyoko stood up, staring at the now empty chair, with more questions racing through her mind than ever. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, hopefully this was a good chapter! I honestly really like writing Kyoko's interactions with Edgeworth and Gumshoe, and the very end was meant to be Kyoko basically seeing Makoto's psyche lock. I'm excited to start writing for the class trial!


	4. Day 2- Trial (Phoenix)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day has come for Phoenix to make his case for Makoto's innocence in court. Can he take on the testimonies of Kyoko and Kiyotaka to get more time for the case?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here it is! The long anticipated trial chapter! Hopefully, this turned out well, it was honestly a blast to write. I listened to the Trials and Tribulations soundtrack on loop while writing this. Also, writing the Judge and Phoenix's inner thoughts was so much fun. Hope you guys like the chapter, and as always I want to thank everyone for the kudos and comments, it means a lot to me and gives me good feedback, and I appreciate you guys taking the time to show you like the story!

May 1st, 9:30 AM 

District Court

Defendant Lobby No.2

“We’re here!” Maya announced as she, Pearl, and Phoenix came into the courtroom. The whole class of 78, even the reclusive Toko, had shown up to court. However, most of them merely gave Maya small smiles, or avoided her gaze before turning back to their own conversations. 

“Sorry,” a voice said from behind them. “It’s me they’re probably avoiding. They really think this is it for me.” Phoenix turned around to see a sheepish Makoto, still trying to get used to his handcuffs. 

“Not all of us,” said another voice. 

“Sayaka!” Pearl grinned and ran over to the other girl and gave her a hug. “You’re wearing a flower!” Pearl pointed to Sayaka’s hair, and sure enough in place of her hair clips, there was a flower from the bunch Pearl had given to her. 

“Thanks, Sayaka.” Makoto gave her a tired smile. “I appreciate it.”

“I’ll be rooting for you the whole time! If you need to see a friendly face in there today, just look at me and Pearl! We’ll be rooting for you!” Sayaka said with determination.

“Hey, don’t forget me and Nick!” Maya pouted. “We’re doing the actual defending, so don’t even sweat it, Makoto!” 

“I appreciate it, but I can’t deny I’m nervous.” Makoto looked over to his remaining classmates. “They won’t meet my eyes. Thinking about them all here, watching me possibly get convicted… it scares me.” 

“Hey! You’re making it sound like you’re already guilty!” Phoenix protested. “I haven’t even started yet!” 

“I didn’t mean it like that!” Makoto countered. “I just don’t want them to lose hope, but I can tell they aren’t convinced.” 

“Which is why Mr. Wright is going to convince them.” The group turned around to see Leon, the latter having made his way over to the group. “Seems Sayaka and I are the only ones willing to talk to you guys right now.” 

Well, Phoenix thought, you guys were with us yesterday, I’d be more surprised if you guys weren’t talking to us. Phoenix took a look at the group, and counted ten students. If Leon, Sayaka, and Makoto were here with them, that still left two unaccounted for-

“I can see you looking at the group, Mr. Wright.” Leon pointed to the other side of the lobby. “Mr. Edgeworth waved Taka over the minute he got here with us, and Kyoko was gone before the rest of us even left the school. I’m pretty sure she got here early.” He paused and frowned. “Wait, she was just there-” 

“-That was a good deduction, Leon. Have you ever considered becoming a detective?” Kyoko’s rather monotone voice questioned. Phoenix once again found himself realizing that Kyoko actually had a bit of a sense of humor. 

“Ha ha.” Leon grumbled. “Seriously, where were you?” 

“I arrived early so that Prosecutor Edgeworth and Detective Gumshoe could brief me for my testimony.” Kyoko looked at Phoenix briefly, before returning her gaze to Leon. 

“You’re testifying?!” Phoenix said, a shocked expression adorning his face. “I didn’t think-” 

“I wanted to be a part of this case to the fullest extent, besides, I have faith that Makoto will pull through, and maybe my testimony will help with that.” Kyoko and Makoto shared a glance, and Phoenix felt very out of the loop. 

“Wait, I thought you said that you didn’t believe him and-” 

“-I never said I didn’t believe it. I just didn’t know what I believed at that time. I admit, I did come off as rather… unfeeling. I’d understand if you think less of me.” Kyoko looked down at the floor. 

“No freaking way!” Maya shouted. “We’d never think less of you! You’re crazy smart, and besides, you really helped us out yesterday with the evidence.” Maya smiled. “When I said we were friends, I really meant it.” 

“That’s very nice of you to say,” Kyoko smiled a rare smile. Phoenix couldn’t help but smile too; Kyoko and Maya seemed like an unlikely pair, but he reasoned that it was nice that they were friends. Sayaka, Pearl, Leon, and Makoto seemed similarly pleased with the interaction, and Kyoko was readily accepted into the group without a word more. 

“Now, Mr. Wright, Prosecutor Edgeworth tells me that you’re a formidable opponent, and that your cross examinations can be brutal. Detective Gumshoe has let things slip before, I gather-”

Phoenix sighed, of course Edgeworth had told Kyoko that he’d be harsh. “I won’t-”

“-I expect your toughest questions, Mr. Wright. Promise me you’ll question me as much as possible, leave no stone unturned. I can handle it… and you’ll find me harder to crack than Detective Gumshoe.” Yeah, Phoenix thought. That’s for sure. “I look forward to the challenge. Oh, and please, call me Detective Kirigiri on the stand. It’s more professional.” Kyoko said with a half-smile, before walking off to rejoin Edgeworth, Gumshoe, and Kiyotaka. 

“She’s definitely ready for you,” Makoto smiled. “I’d watch out.” 

“Why are you smiling?!” Leon looked at him incredulously. “She’s testifying against you, y’know!” 

“She’s not testifying against me, she’s just stating facts. Besides, she promised me she’d look out for me, and I believe in her.” Makoto’s smile faded. “Taka’s testimony is what worries me.” 

“Yeah,” Sayaka glanced over to where Kiyotaka was standing, the latter hadn’t once glanced over to their side. “He’s got his reputation as the ultimate moral compass riding on this too. He has no reason to lie.” 

Phoenix furrowed his brow. “No matter what, there are bound to be contradictions in his testimony. It’ll be up to us to pick it apart.” 

“We’ve got this!” Maya said, before her shoulders slumped. “... probably…. maybe.” 

“You guys can do it!” Pearl said encouragingly, her and Sayaka giving matching smiles to Phoenix and Maya.

“Everyone inside! Please, find your seats! The trial will be commencing shortly!” The bailiff by the door shouted. 

“C’mon, Pearl.” Sayaka outstretched her hand, the tiny medium eagerly taking it before giving Phoenix and Maya a final wave. 

She, Sayaka, and Leon walked over to the rest of the class, where Phoenix was at least relieved to see that Pearl was being well received by the rest of the class, Chihiro took Pearl’s free hand as they walked inside to their seats, and he could hear Hina complaining about the fact that Sayaka and Chihiro got to sit next to Pearl. Funny how everyone seemed to like Pearl no matter where they went, Phoenix thought. Well, to be fair, a few of the kids, Toko, Byakuya, Celeste, Mukuro, didn’t seem terribly enthused by her, but oddly enough, they didn’t seem to mind overall. 

“Are you ready for this, Makoto?” Maya asked, as the three of them headed into the courtroom. 

“No, but it’s happening. I’ve just got to remember not to give up hope!” Makoto’s eyes flashed with optimism mixed with nerves. It was an odd combination to see. 

The three of them walked into the courtroom, and as the doors shut behind them with a definitive slam, Phoenix’s heart skipped a beat. No matter how many times he’d gone through this, and would go through it again in the future, it would always be daunting. Makoto’s fate was now in his hands. 

******************************************************************************

May 1st, 10:00 AM

District Court

Courtroom No.3

Phoenix knew he had mere moments before the trial started. He glanced at Makoto, who sat in the defendant’s chair, and they shared a knowing look. Phoenix looked towards the stands, amusingly enough, the class of 78 plus Pearl had all crammed into one row on the benches, Pearl waving at Phoenix and Maya from her spot in between Sayaka and Chihiro. Phoenix suddenly felt very nervous, as all of their eyes pressed into his back. Would it kill at least one of them to stare at Edgeworth like that?! In the row below them, Gumshoe sat down, his pen in hand, preparing to take notes. Knowing him, the notes would probably be terrible-

“-Court is now in session for the trial of Makoto Naegi,” The Judge said, snapping Phoenix to attention.

‘The defense is ready, Your Honor.” Phoenix said with a nod. 

“The prosecution is ready as well,” Edgeworth said. 

“Your opening statement, Prosecutor Edgeworth.” The Judge turned in his chair towards Edgeworth. 

“The prosecution believes this to be an open and shut case, Your Honor. We have a reliable witness and solid evidence that place the defendant at the scene of the crime. Through testimony and evidence, Your Honor will see that Mr. Naegi was caught in the murder of his classmate, Mr. Hagakure. The prosecution asks that he be punished as any other criminal, despite his age.” Edgeworth finished his statement with a bow. 

“Man, he always does that,” Maya quipped. Phoenix nodded, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. 

“The prosecution may call its first witness,” the Judge said. 

“The prosecution calls one of the detectives who worked the scene of the crime, and has been briefed on all details concerning the investigation. Despite her age, her talent and reliability is unquestioned.” Edgeworth gestured to the witness stand. “The prosecution calls Detective Kyoko Kirigiri to the stand.” 

Kyoko walked up and took her place on the witness stand, her expression calm. She nodded to Edgeworth. 

“Wow, Nick!” Maya looked at Kyoko. “She’s as cool as a cucumber up there! I’d never know this was her first real testimony! I’m impressed.” 

Phoenix sighed. “Maybe save the compliments for after the trial, Maya.” 

“As a formality to the court, please state your name and profession.” Edgeworth said to Kyoko. 

“I’m Kyoko Kirigiri, a student at Hope’s Peak academy, and the ultimate detective. I was cleared to investigate this case by the prosecution due to my ultimate talent.” 

“Hmm, Kirigiri,” the Judge said. “I swear I’ve heard that name before…” 

“I come from a long line of detectives, Your Honor. Maybe one of them gave testimony for you before as well.” Kyoko said. 

“Oh! That could be it!” The Judge said, his eyes widening. “I have been around long enough to see generations go by in this court!” 

Yeah, Phoenix thought, looking at the greys of the Judge’s beard. That’s for sure. Sometimes, the fact that the Judge even remembered what day it is was a feat in itself. 

“Anyway, Detective Kirigiri, please tell us about the incident.” Edgeworth said, hoping to stop the Judge before he went on a tangent about being old. 

Kyoko nodded. “The incident occured at night, around 10 PM. On the night in question, the victim, Yasuhiro Hagakure, was in his room. During that time, he was attacked with a crystal ball and stabbed. The defendant was found by another student with the victim, and the police were called. The defendant was found by police to still be in the room with the victim, and promptly arrested and questioned.” 

“Oh, that seems very dire indeed,” the Judge said, shaking his head. “Well, it does sound fairly open and shut.” 

Phoenix gulped. Seriously, how easy was the judge to convince?! “Your Honor, I still have to cross-examine Detective Kirigiri!” Phoenix quickly interjected before the Judge declared poor Makoto guilty on the spot. 

“Oh, yes! I almost forgot about that! By all means Mr. Wright, go ahead!” 

“Here’s your chance to get Kyoko to say what you want her to, you just have to press the right stuff, Nick!” Maya gave him a reassuring nod. 

“Yeah,” he said. “I think she was being vague on purpose. She wants me to think through what I ask.” 

Phoenix took a deep breath. “Detective Kirigiri, you say the incident occurred around 10 PM last night. How do you know that?” 

Kyoko gave him a rather unimpressed look. Ouch. “Simple,” she picked up another piece of evidence. “This is a statement given by the Hope’s Peak Academy Headmaster. It states that at 10 PM, the gates of the academy close for the night. By the time the police arrived at the scene, the gates had been closed, and were reopened for them. Also, there is the fact that the victim’s death is dated at approximately 9:50. This means that the incident took place around that time frame.” 

“The victim was in his room, right? What was he doing?” Phoenix asked. 

“He was studying, evidenced by this note he wrote himself.” Kyoko displayed the note, and the Judge nodded. 

“That handwriting is awfully neat,” the Judge said. 

“Yes, his handwriting was rather neat despite his lack of interest in his studies.” Kyoko said. 

Phoenix, sensing the Judge could potentially go on a tangent, changed the subject again. “Why was the defendant arrested? Weren’t there other students in the vicinity?” 

Kyoko shook her head, and gave Phoenix a stony stare. She’s looking at me like I’ve suddenly said something rather dire, he thought with a gulp. He looked over to Edgeworth, who suddenly seemed rather assured. 

“The defendant was the only student seen at the scene, and was seen with a knife.” Kyoko lifted up the evidence bag with the knife in it. Phoenix could see that the knife still had blood on it. “He was taken in on account of his proximity to the defendant, his condition … and the fact that his prints were found on this knife.” Kyoko’s face looked grim, she clearly hadn’t been enthused about having to say that last part. 

“You see?” Edgeworth gestured to the court. “Without a doubt, Mr. Naegi is linked to this crime scene. Detective Kirigiri, that will be all-” 

“OBJECTION!” Phoenix cried out. “I want to hear from the detective about… the condition of the defendant when he was brought into questioning!” 

“Where are you going with this, Wright?” Edgeworth’s eyes narrowed.

“I wonder that as well, Mr. Edgeworth,” the Judge said. ‘Mr. Wright, what will this prove?” 

“I believe that the defendant’s condition upon arrest is critical knowledge the court needs in order to decide this case fairly!” Phoenix emphatically stated. 

“What do you say, Mr. Edgeworth?” The Judge questioned. 

“I have briefed Detective Kirigiri on every detail of this case, so she knows this quite well.” Edgeworth turned to Kyoko. “However, I would like to ask the good detective herself, do you believe that your testimony is necessary here?” 

“Yes, Prosecutor Edgeworth, sir. I believe it is necessary for the court to have as much detail as possible when it comes to this case.” Kyoko locked eyes with Phoenix for a brief moment before meeting Edgeworth’s gaze. Phoenix felt a chill all of a sudden. He’d only been trying to offer a strong front after letting the knife thing slip, but now, he’d probably stumbled onto something here. Something Kyoko would probably want him to discover. 

“I hope Makoto is doing alright,” Maya said. “Hopefully having Kyoko of all people testifying against him isn’t too much for him.” 

“I think he can handle it,” Phoenix said, looking to where Makoto was in the defendant’s chair. He was laser-focused on the trial. Phoenix could hardly blame him, his life was on the line.

“Well, Detective Kirigiri, please testify about the defendant’s condition,” the Judge said. 

“When the defendant was brought in, he was fingerprinted right away. Those prints were found on the knife. The defendant had no external injuries. The defendant had blood on his hands, and certain areas of his hoodie.” Edgeworth nodded to Kyoko, and she revealed a brown hoodie with several blood stains, the brunt of them gathered at the lower part of the sleeves. “Criminal Affairs finished processing this jacket late last night. The prosecution would like to add it to court evidence.” 

“Approved,” the Judge said. Phoenix could feel himself starting to sweat. He didn’t know they’d processed the jacket as well. 

“The blood from the hoodie matches the blood on the knife, which has been linked to the victim. Finally, the knife with his prints was found on the defendant’s person, and confiscated from the defendant as soon as he was arrested.” 

Hmm, Phoenix placed a pensive hand under his chin. There was a lot in that statement. He racked his brain. There wasn’t anything he could press about the fingerprints, those were there without a doubt. There was a statement that did strike him as odd, though. 

“They found the knife on him and everything… this isn’t a great topic to hear about, Nick.” Maya looked worried. Now that was only making him more worried. Still, he saw one statement he could press. 

“Detective Kirigiri, you said that the victim had no external injuries, correct?” Phoenix raised an eyebrow.

“That’s correct.”

“Well, that seems rather unlikely, don’t you think?” Phoenix asked.

“What are you getting at, Wright?” Edgeworth asked, crossing his arms. 

“The fact that the defendant had no external injuries contradicts with the evidence!” Phoenix gestured to the shards. “Evidence states that Mr. Hagakure was attacked with a crystal ball, which is confirmed by these shards that were found in his room. His talent as the ultimate clairvoyant granted the killer access to that otherwise improbable weapon. It isn’t an ideal weapon, as it isn’t as heavy-hitting as other blunt objects, and it has a large chance of injuring the assailant as well. For instance, if the killer was indeed barehanded, like the defendant was, they would’ve cut their hand when the glass shattered!” 

“What?!” Edgeworth’s eyes widened. “Maybe the defendant merely protected his hands with something-” 

“-not possible.” Phoenix shook his head. “Recall the knife presented moments earlier. The knife is said to have the defendant’s prints. However, if the defendant did indeed assault the victim with the crystal ball and gotten by unscathed with some kind of protection on his hands, there would’ve been no reason for him to handle the knife with his bare hands and leave evidence! It’s contradictory!” 

“Huh!” The Judge said. “That does seem odd! Why wouldn’t the defendant have gotten injured? Surely, some of the glass would’ve cut his hand, right?” 

Kyoko gave Phoenix a look, and Phoenix could tell she was pleased. Even if her face hardly changed from its normal stoic expression. 

“Detective Kirigiri, how do you explain this major inconsistency?” Phoenix said. “The blood on the defendant’s hoodie, none of it belonged to him, correct?” 

“Yes, all of the blood was the victim’s. It is rather inconsistent.” Kyoko looked towards Edgeworth, who gave her a cold look. Kyoko cleared her throat. “However, there was still enough evidence concerning the knife and the witness account to lead to the defendant’s arrest. May I remind the court, Mr. Naegi is the ultimate lucky student. If anyone could have avoided injury by a miracle, it was him.” 

“That does seem like a wonderful talent to have,” the Judge said. “If that is all-” 

“No, that’s wrong!” 

Phoenix’s eyes widened and he and Maya, along with the rest of the court, whipped around to the defendant’s chair to see Makoto had stood up, and slammed his hands on the table. 

“It was impossible for me to avoid an injury! After all, there is evidence that shows that Hiro went down with a fight, as he didn’t die instantly. The autopsy says 9:50, but when I got to him, he was still alive at around 9:47.” Makoto continued, despite Phoenix desperately trying to gesture for him to stop. “He was bigger than me, and I have no fighting experience. Even if I used the crystal ball successfully, he still would’ve fought me! I would have scratches, bruises!” Makoto rolled up the sleeves of his hoodie. “It would’ve been impossible for me to win that fight without getting injured! Good luck doesn’t-” 

The Judge slammed his gavel down, trying to silence the buzz that had overtaken the courtroom during Makoto’s apparent testimony. Phoenix took a quick look at the gallery. Class 78 was abuzz, most of them looking confused. 

“Yo, is he allowed to do that?” Phoenix heard Mondo whispering to Chihiro, the latter shrugging, 

Sayaka was clutching Pearl’s hand, and giving Makoto a concerned look. Pearl was saying something too quietly for Phoenix to hear, but based on Sayaka’s small smile afterwards, Phoenix reasoned it was comforting. Strangely, Byakuya looked rather amused, and he merely shook his head at Makoto with a smirk. Toko was now staring rather intensely at Edgeworth. Junko whispered something to Celeste, and both girls snickered. Leon, Hifumi, Hina, Sakura, and even Detective Gumshoe from the next row, had now gotten in on Mondo and Chihiro’s conversation and were starting to get rather loud. 

“Makoto does have a point, Yasuhiro did outmuscle him,” Sakura murmured. 

“Does that mean he’s innocent?” Hina questioned, holding onto Sakura’s arm. 

“No way!” Hifumi squeaked. “The knife!” 

“The knife does make this thing seem clear, huh pal?” 

“What was your name again?” 

The Judge, seeing class 78’s (and Gumshoe’s) chatter plunging his court into chaos, glared at Makoto, slamming his gavel with authority. “Mr. Naegi, I understand you wanting your say, but I can’t abide an unruly defendant interrupting proceedings in my courtroom! You will cease at once, so that this court can have order!” The Judge hit his gavel again. “That will be a penalty against the defense!” 

Makoto slumped sullenly back in his chair, his cheeks beet-red. The class instantly went silent again, the Judge’s glare quieting them. 

“Good thing Taka isn’t here right now,” Maya grinned. “They’d all have detention otherwise. Well, I guess Makoto is pretty much in detention now.”

Despite getting a penalty for Makoto’s outburst, Phoenix still felt bad. Besides, his point was valid. There’s no way that he could’ve gotten out completely unscathed. Next to him, Maya looked at Makoto and winced. 

‘Poor Makoto, you can tell he really wants to help,” Maya sighed. “You know, I think I know why Kyoko said he’d fit in with us. You would’ve totally done that if you were in that chair, Nick.” Phoenix shook his head, despite knowing that what Maya said was 100 percent true. 

“It’s a pity you can’t get your defendant in line, Wright. I believe that is all from Detective Kirigiri, whose testimony was most informative.” Edgeworth gave Kyoko a small bow. “Quite a respectable debut, Detective.” 

“Thank you, Sir. I only hope my testimony will aid the court further in this trial.” Kyoko said with a nod, and a slight bow towards Edgeworth. Phoenix couldn’t tell if it was out of respect, or a way of mocking Edgeworth’s habit. 

“Quite an informative and lively testimony! You lived up to your Kirigiri reputation, young lady!” The Judge said with a smile. “I will now call a 10 minute recess, for the prosecution to prepare its next witness!” The judge banged his gavel, and Phoenix let out a deep breath. One testimony down, one to go. 

******************************************************************************

May 1st, 11:10 AM

District Court

Defendant Lobby No. 2

“Makoto! You can’t just have an outburst like that in court!” Maya gave Makoto a jab with her elbow to his formerly uninjured arm. “You got us a penalty!” 

“Sorry,” Makoto said, shoulders slumping. His face was still fairly red. “I just couldn’t hold it in anymore. I had to say something! I mean, I know that Kyoko’s words were deliberate. I knew what she was trying to prompt you to say and-” 

“Makoto,” Phoenix sighed. “I honestly get it. You’ve got that kind of personality. You have to be the person who helps and defends other people, even if it gets you in trouble. You believe the best in people.” Phoenix gave him a small smile. “I’m the same way.” 

Makoto looked at him, and smiled as well. “Yeah, I could sorta tell. You’re a defense attorney, after all. It’s a logical deduction to make.” Makoto looked over to his classmates, who were in a frenzy of discussion. This time, a few of them snuck glances at Makoto. “They’re looking at me, that’s a start. Well, some of them.” 

Phoenix followed Makoto’s gaze over to where Edgeworth, Gumshoe, and Kyoko were standing, talking to Kiyotaka, whose eyes seemed to be glued to the courtroom doors. To be fair, he was probably very nervous. It was a stark reminder that they were definitely not out of the woods yet. 

“We’ve still got a long way to go,” Phoenix warned. “Be ready… but maybe don’t have another outburst. At least, not today. The Judge will probably penalize me again.” 

Makoto nodded and Maya slapped him on the back. “You can do this, Makoto!” 

“Ouch, and thanks!” Makoto said with a pained smile. 

Maya grinned and waved him off as the bailiff announced that it was time for them to come back into court. 

******************************************************************************

May 1st, 11:20 AM

District Court

Courtroom No.3

“Court is back in session,” the Judge said once everyone had taken their seats. 

Once again, class 78 and Pearl were sandwiched into their row, Pearl still sitting next to Chihiro and Sayaka. This time, Kyoko had joined them, sitting in the row below with Detective Gumshoe, who was grinning like a proud parent as she took out a notebook and pen of her own. Phoenix realized that Pearl had probably taken up the space that Kyoko would’ve sat in. Luckily, Kyoko didn’t seem to mind, if anything, enjoying the extra room. 

“Mr. Edgeworth, you may call your next witness,” the Judge said. 

Edgeworth nodded, reading from his notes. “The prosecution calls the student who reported the defendant to the police after seeing him and the victim. The prosecution calls Kiyotaka Ishimaru to the stand.” 

Kiyotaka climbed up to the witness stand, alert and at attention. He was comically rigid, his hands placed tightly by his sides, his uniform was impeccably neat and professional. At least he dressed for court, Phoenix thought. 

“Would the witness please state his name and grade in school for the court?” Edgeworth said, looking at Kiyotaka. 

“My name is Kiyotaka Ishimaru! I am in my final year of Hope’s Peak Academy!” Kiyotaka yelled, half of the courtroom covering their ears. Ironically, Makoto, along with the rest of the class, seemed pretty unaffected. “I am the ultimate moral compass, and the president of the school’s public morals committee! I also monitor the halls and-” 

Edgeworth held up his hand with a sigh. “That’s quite enough, Mr. Ishimaru. We get the picture… and the prosecution would appreciate it if you brought your voice down. These courtroom walls have a nasty echo effect.” 

“My apologies!” Kiyotaka barked with a salute. He was only slightly quieter than before, and Edgeworth sighed, clearly giving up. Phoenix figured he could get used to it. 

“Taka’s really nice, but he’s got no indoor voice, huh?” Maya sighed. 

Phoenix nodded. “At least it’ll be easy to hear his testimony.” 

“Hmm… Ishimaru…” The Judge looked pensive again. “I swear, I must be going senile. I’ve heard that name too, I’m sure of it!” 

Suddenly, Kiyotaka’s face grew even paler than it already was. Phoenix wasn’t sure how the Judge didn’t immediately remember that Kiyotaka’s grandfather had been in one of the biggest political scandals in recent history. The trial against him was something they taught in law school.

“Your Honor, if we sat here all day trying to remember where you’ve seen someone, we’d never get anywhere,” Edgeworth interjected, coming to a mortified Kiyotaka’s rescue. “Besides, the past is not important, we are not defined by our ancestors and their actions.” He looked straight at Kiyotaka when he said this, and the latter’s expression relaxed ever-so-slightly. “What matters now is that this witness is brave enough to testify in front of his own classmates, and against his former friend to serve justice.” 

Phoenix couldn’t help but appreciate moments like this, moments that showed that Edgeworth actually cared. Even if he liked to pretend otherwise. He knew that there was an undeniable part of Edgeworth that would want to extend protection to this loudmouthed boy that put himself on the stand for Edgeworth’s case, as he viewed his witnesses as those who spoke out for the truth. Judging by the way he’d praised Kyoko’s testimony, he’d also had her interests in mind as well. Phoenix shook himself from these thoughts. Now wasn’t the time to get distracted by Edgeworth’s subtle displays of heart, after all, Edgeworth was priming Kiyotaka to condemn Makoto. 

The Judge nodded, abandoning his train of thought. “Quite right, Mr. Edgeworth. Truly, you do have a way with words.” 

“Thank you, Your Honor.” Edgeworth took another bow. 

“Man, Edgeworth already charmed the Judge again.” Maya said. “Where’s your inspiring speech, Nick?” 

Well, if I’d known we’d be giving inspirational speeches, maybe I’d have prepared that instead of the court record, Phoenix sighed. He knew that he’d never have that kind of refined charm that Edgeworth had, he had to rely on his brain. It always helped out in a bind. Well, almost always. 

“Witness, please describe your recollection of the night the incident took place.” Edgeworth said. 

Kiyotaka placed a hand under his chin. “I was out with three of my friends, Mondo, Hina, and Sakura, as it was a Friday night, and we’d all done our studying during the week. We’d gone out during the evening, and returned precisely at 9:40 PM, as I did not want us to be at risk of violating curfew.” Taka took a quick glance at his wristwatch, as if to affirm what he said before continuing. “My friends stopped by the courtyard, and I decided to go to the dorms. When I got there, I noticed Yasuhiro’s door was ajar. When I decided to look…” Kiyotaka hung his head, and Phoenix could see he was trying to keep his composure. “I saw Makoto there, covered in blood and holding a knife. I immediately ran to call the police.” 

“Hmm,” the Judge’s expression clouded with thought. “Well the testimony seems solid to me. Mr. Wright, do you wish to cross-examine the witness?” 

“Yes, of course!” Phoenix said. Of course he had to cross examine the witness! If he didn’t, this case would be over! 

Edgeworth shook his head. “I just hope you don’t dig yourself into a deeper hole, Wright.” 

“He’s just trying to psych you out, Nick!” Maya said, giving Phoenix a reassuring smile. “You can do this, no surrender!” 

Phoenix took a deep breath. “Mr. Ishimaru,” he began. “Before we begin, I couldn’t help but notice your watch. Were you wearing it on the night of the murder?” 

Kiyotaka nodded. “I always wear my watch, that way, I will never be late to class!” 

Sheesh, Phoenix thought. Is this guy a total control freak? “Thank you, witness. Now, why did you go to the dorm rooms alone? Why did you leave your friends? Did you know that something would be amiss?” 

“N-no!” Kiyotaka’s hair seemed to stand on end. “Well… two of my friends decided it would be a great idea if they had a push-up contest right there in the courtyard, as we’d gotten to school with time to spare.” Kiyotaka’s shoulders relaxed, and he rolled his eyes fondly, as if he were reminiscing about the night in question. 

Maya snickered, subtly nodding to the benches, where Mondo and Hina both had rather bashful looks on their faces. Sakura, for her part, looked fairly bemused. Now Phoenix found himself wondering who won. 

“Anyway,” Kiyotaka continued, “After the two showed no sign of stopping, I decided to go to the dorms to check on Makoto and Yasuhiro. I figured I wouldn’t be long, so I just decided to slip away, with the intention of returning shortly.” 

“Wait a minute,” Phoenix asked. “How did you know that Makoto would be with Yasuhiro?” 

“Wright,” Edgeworth cut in harshly. “What are you implying?” 

“If Kiyotaka knew about the night in question-”

“Do you really believe I would stoop to such a low?!” Kiyotaka glared at Phoenix, his eyebrows furrowing together to bring out the intensity of his red eyes. “I knew about Makoto and Yasuhiro because the idea of studying was mine! I didn’t attend the session because I had already made plans.” The anger faded from Kiyotaka’s eyes, and his eyes grew misty instead. “If I had stayed behind… maybe this wouldn’t have happened. I am the one who permitted Makoto to help Yasuhiro!” Kiyotaka shook, visibly on the brink of tears. 

“It wasn’t your fault,” Phoenix said. He felt bad, seeing Kiyotaka’s state. He remembered that Leon felt similarly based on their conversations yesterday. Phoenix now wondered, did Makoto feel that way as well, as if he’d failed to prevent Yasuhiro’s death? 

“I would like to continue please!” Kiyotaka shakily yelled. 

“Of course, Mr. Ishimaru,” Edgeworth said. “Please, continue with your answer.” 

“When I arrived there, I realized it was rather quiet for a study session, and I saw the door was open a crack already. I opened it, to see Makoto holding a knife, and then I saw Hiro’s body and I ran.” 

A lightbulb went off in Phoenix’s head. “What time would you say you arrived?” 

Kiyotaka fiddled with his wristwatch. “I’d say around 9:49 PM!”

Phoenix held up the photo of Yasuhiro’s floor. “Can you point out to me exactly where you saw his body?” 

Kiyotaka looked closely at the photo and closed his eyes, trying to visualise the scene. Finally he pointed to the spot on the floor with the most blood, not the spot that the police had ultimately outlined. Phoenix remembered Kyoko’s theory, Makoto had moved the body, and if he’d done that after Kiyotaka came and left then...bingo. 

“Just to clarify, you left as soon as you saw the body, correct?” Phoenix asked. 

Kiyotaka nodded. 

Phoenix slammed his hands on the desk. “Therein lies the contradiction, Your Honor! The witness claims that he saw the body over here,” He gestured to the larger bloodstain, “But in reality, the police found the body over here, as shown by the outline!” 

The Judge’s eyes widened. “Well, that is certainly a contradiction! Does the witness have an explanation for this?” 

Kiyotaka looked very confused. “That’s impossible! I am positive I saw Yasuhiro there!” 

Edgeworth slammed a hand onto his table, commanding the conversation to him. “There’s an easy explanation for that! The defendant moved the body once the witness fled the scene!”

“That doesn’t make sense!” Phoenix countered. “Why would he bother moving the body if he’d already been seen! That shows his priorities weren’t covering up a murder, because if they were… he would’ve attacked the witness to silence him!” 

Edgeworth grinned and shook his head. “Wright, aren’t you forgetting the point your very own defendant made earlier in the day? He said he couldn’t have taken the victim in a fight. If he couldn’t take the victim even with the element of surprise, there’s no way he’d be able to fight the witness, who was fully aware of his weapon, and stronger than him in terms of stature regardless.” 

“Wouldn’t a potential scuffle alert students nearby as well?” The Judge asked. “If the defendant had attacked the witness, surely the witness would’ve screamed.” 

“Exactly,” Edgeworth nodded. “The defendant couldn’t have attacked, it would’ve blown his cover for sure.” 

Damn it! Phoenix began to sweat. He’d been onto something there, he knew it. He had to get Kiyotaka to testify some more, reveal more details to cast doubt on Makoto’s guilt. 

“So, Mr. Wright,” the Judge asked, “What reason would the defendant have to move the body?” 

“Hey, Nick. Taka said he saw them at 9:49, right?” Maya crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t that mean that Hiro was still alive?” 

Phoenix’s eyes widened. That was it! “The reason he moved the body was simple, and it shows who the defendant really is! The reason he moved the body was to try and save the victim’s life!” 

“What?!” The Judge’s eyes widened. “Why would Mr. Naegi try to save his own victim?” 

Phoenix placed his hands on his hips. “Simple, Your Honor. Makoto isn’t the killer. If he was, he’d have no reason to do this. If you look at the photo,” Phoenix presented the photo to the Judge, who studied it carefully. “The victim was originally found lying on the ground by the witness and the defendant shortly after one another. The victim was bleeding out, of course. So, the defendant took it upon himself to try and stop his bleeding by first applying pressure with his hands.” Phoenix showed the hoodie. “The placement of the blood on the defendant’s hoodie is evident of that. Unfortunately, it was too little too late, and to make matters worse, the witness walks in and completely misunderstands the situation, leaving before the defendant can explain-”

“-Why didn’t the defendant go after the witness to clear the matter then?!” Edgeworth interjected. “He had ample time to do so!” 

“No, not with the victim’s life in the balance!” Phoenix replied. “The defendant tried to prop the victim against the wall, to try and give him support, instead of fleeing the scene and disposing of his hoodie and the knife as any killer would’ve done. Instead, he tried to help the victim, but it was too late. According to the autopsy report, the victim died mere minutes after, or even during this transfer to the wall.” 

Phoenix looked at Makoto, whose expression was pained, clearly reliving his friend dying in his arms all over again. He probably felt powerless right now, Phoenix realized, the Judge had penalized the defense when he’d tried to interject, and he’d previously tried to save Yasuhiro’s life, only to be arrested for it. 

“That theory is quite plausible,” the Judge admitted. “It is quite odd that the defendant wouldn’t immediately flee the scene. I am starting to find some inconsistencies here myself-” 

“-Not so fast, Your Honor!” Edgeworth exclaimed. “There is still a sizable amount of time unaccounted for. There is the time in which Mr. Ishimaru called the police, to their arrival. We do not know what happened then, if Mr. Naegi tried to dispose of evidence then or-” 

“I can testify about that!” Kiyotaka interjected. 

He’d been silent awhile, transfixed by the argument between Phoenix and Edgeworth. Based on the look of desperation on his face, he was starting to have doubts about his own recollection. He probably wanted to make sure he hadn’t condemned an innocent man. Phoenix sighed, Kiyotaka probably wasn’t going to take his cross-examination all that well. 

“Alright,” Edgeworth said with a nod. He looked slightly apprehensive. “The witness will testify about what happened after he left the room.”

“Good job, Nick!” Maya said. “You bought us another testimony!”

Phoenix sighed, feeling his body deflate. He wasn’t sure he had the court there, but he had no idea what Kiyotaka was going to say now. For all he knew, this could be Makoto’s death knell. 

“You may begin your testimony, witness,” the Judge said. 

“After I ran out of the room, I ran from the halls, to the stairs, and immediately used my cell phone to call the police.” Kiyotaka produced a small flip phone from his pocket. “It is rather outdated, but it works fine. After I called the police, I ran to the headmaster’s office to alert him of the situation. The headmaster left for the dorms to alert the other students, and I ran outside back to my friends and told them everything. Then, we went to the front gates of the school, and waited for the police, who arrived at exactly 10:19 PM. They arrested Makoto at around 10:23.” 

“I just have another question for you before the cross-examination, witness. When you were waiting for the police, who all was there?” Edgeworth asked. 

“It was me, Mondo, Hina, Sakura, and… oh! Kyoko was there as well! Nobody else was around.” 

“Was Detective Kirigiri already by the main gate when you arrived?” Edgeworth questioned. 

Phoenix narrowed his eyes. What was Edgeworth trying to prove? He had to stay on his guard now, because Edgeworth was definitely up to something. Maya’s face was twisted in confusion, and Phoenix snuck a quick glance at Makoto, who watched Edgeworth intently, as if he was trying to decipher his line of questioning as well. 

“Yes, she was.” Kiyotaka placed a hand under his chin, and furrowed his eyebrows in thought. “In fact, she was there, writing in her notepad when we’d first arrived back at 9:40! We passed her on our way back into the school, though she didn’t notice.” 

“I see, that’s very helpful.” Edgeworth nodded. “The defense may cross-examine the witness now.” 

“Hey, that’s my line!” The Judge protested. 

“My apologies, Your Honor.” Edgeworth said. 

“So, Mr. Ishimaru,” Phoenix interjected, “What route did you take to get to the headmaster’s office? Please, show us on this map.” Phoenix got out the map of Hope’s Peak that Alter Ego made and handed it to Kiyotaka. 

“I was here,” Kiyotaka pointed to the dorms. “Then, I ran up the stairs to the Headmaster’s Office on the fifth floor.” 

“Did you see anyone on either of your trips?” Phoenix inquired. 

“No! I’ll admit, I wasn’t paying attention like I should’ve been. I was scared and I was… well.. I was in disbelief. I didn’t think that Makoto could ever-” 

“-No off topic tangents, Mr. Ishimaru.” Edgeworth interrupted. 

Kiyotaka’s face flushed with embarrassment, though an unsure look was splayed across his features. Maybe I can use this, Phoenix thought. He’s having second thoughts, maybe even wondering if he’s doing the right thing right now. 

“Well, it all took about twenty minutes. I don’t think I’ve ever ran so fast. I am surprised the police were able to arrive so fast as well,” Kiyotaka admitted. 

“Just how long of a gap was there between you leaving the room, and you alerting the headmaster?” Phoenix asked. 

“Around seven minutes,” Kiyotaka said. “Maybe a few more if you count our descent, and his alerting of students.” 

“Woah, when he said he ran fast, he really wasn’t kidding,” Maya muttered. 

“I believe that statement right there was rather revealing, witness.” Phoenix said, looking directly at Kiyotaka. 

“Why is that?” Kiyotaka asked, nervousness creeping into his voice. 

“It means that there was a seven minute window that Makoto could’ve used to leave the room, or even dispose of evidence!” Phoenix slammed his hands down emphatically on the desk, making sure the court’s attention was on him. “He had the knife already covered in his prints. There was also another incriminating piece of evidence he should’ve tried to find and get rid of,” Phoenix held up the Justice card. 

“What exactly is that?” the Judge squinted at the card. “Why is there a lumpy balloon drawn on it… oh! I see it! There is a rather neat M written on this card! And it is… covered in blood!” 

Phoenix nodded. “That blood has been identified as the victim’s as well. The handwriting also matches that of the note he’d written earlier.” 

“What exactly is this card?” The Judge asked. “It is rather peculiar, regardless of a bloody message.” 

“It’s a tarot card!” Kiyotaka barked from the witness stand before Phoenix could even answer. “Yasuhiro was the ultimate clairvoyant, and those tarot cards were part of what he used to help read people’s fortunes. He always carried around the cards with him.” 

“Fascinating!” the Judge said. “I wonder, did those cards ever actually predict the future? I wonder what my cards would’ve been.” 

Phoenix took the Justice card and showed it to the court before the Judge could go on again. Based on his limited knowledge of what Yasuhiro was like when he was alive, Phoenix guessed the Judge probably wouldn’t have gotten a very accurate reading. 

“Exactly, Mr. Ishimaru,” Phoenix said. “It was public knowledge to anyone in the school that Yasuhiro carried this card deck, and it would’ve been an easy thing to check for if you were a killer, as they could be used like this Justice Card was.” Phoenix took a breath. “The fact that the defendant didn’t look for this, or if he did find it, he didn’t rip up or try to dispose of this very incriminating piece of evidence, along with the fact that he did not attempt to dispose of the knife only show how my client isn’t guilty!” 

“OBJECTION!” Edgeworth pointed at Phoenix. “I’ll admit, you do know how to put up a fight, Wright. However, there is a much more sinister reason that the defendant didn’t leave the room. In fact, it’s twofold.”

Edgeworth took a piece of paper from the court record. “This,” he said, “Is a map of Hope’s Peak dormitories, and the camera placement in the hallway.” Edgeworth gestured to a particular mark. “Just a few steps into the hallway, and the defendant would be caught on camera. Plus, if he managed to escape with the intent to leave the school, Detective Kirigiri, who was established to be by the front gate, would’ve seen and apprehended him.” Edgeworth cleared a stray hair from his face before slamming the desk with authority. “The defendant wasn’t being altruistic, he was stuck!” 

“OBJECTION!” Phoenix slammed both his hands on the desk, matching Edgeworth’s demeanor. “There are fatal flaws in both of your points, Edgeworth!” 

“Oh, then educate me, Wright.” Edgeworth glared. “Just what are these flaws?” 

“The flaw in assuming Makoto is trapped because of Detective Kirigiri’s presence is simply that he would have no way of knowing that she is there!” Phoenix continued. “If Makoto was busy committing and planning for a murder, surely he’d plan for an escape route, and he would try to plan for a time where Detective Kirigiri isn’t by the front gates! Plus, if he was in the room for the amount of time he was, he’d have no way of knowing who was where, including Detective Kirigiri’s location!” 

“Hmmm, the defense does make a solid point…” the Judge pondered. “But, how do you explain the cameras, Mr. Wright? Prosecutor Edgeworth is correct, it would be hard to consider a path to avoid them.” 

“Hard? Yes.” Phoenix grinned. “Impossible, however, is a different story.”

Edgeworth’s eyes narrowed. Next to him, Maya’s face lit up with realization. On the witness stand, Kiyotaka’s mind appeared to be racing, trying to think of what Phoenix was going to say. From the defendant’s chair, Makoto gave Phoenix a nod, it was clear he trusted him. Don’t mess this up, Phoenix, he thought. You’ve got to stick the landing here, or we’re done. 

“Prosecutor Edgeworth took the liberty of bringing a map with the camera’s fields of vision shaded in.” Phoenix gestured to the map. “If the court would look here,” he pointed towards the cameras, and illustrated a path from Yasuhiro’s dorm to the exit, “You’ll see that these cameras all have blind spots that someone could exploit to pass through the hallways undetected, thus freeing them to go outside!” 

“OBJECTION! That would take an insane amount of maneuvering, Wright!” Edgeworth stared intensely at Phoenix. Phoenix felt his stomach start to buzz with nerves, but he made sure not to let it show. He couldn’t give Edgeworth an inch right now. “Besides, there is no guaranteeing that the defendant even knew about this path of blind spots in the first place!” 

Phoenix couldn’ help the grin that broke onto his face. “Edgeworth, I’m afraid that your last point doesn’t hold water. The defendant knew about the blind spots, and I have the evidence to prove it!” 

“What?!” Edgeworth’s eyes widened, and the confidence vanished from his face. “I never saw any evidence that-no-it’s impossible! I call your bluff!” 

Maya grinned. “Should I tell him about my little visit to Hope’s Peak, Nick?” 

Phoenix shook his head. “Not yet.” 

“I am very intrigued,” the Judge said. “Now tell me, just what is this evidence?” 

“Take a look at this, Your Honor.” Phoenix took out the flyer for Hazuraka Temple, and showed it to the court. “This is a flyer advertising a retreat to learn more about spirit mediums, their culture, and the Kurain channeling technique.” 

“Ah!” The Judge sat upright. “Now I know I’ve seen this flyer before!” 

“Yes, it was from a previous case from a few months ago.” Edgeworth said. “Is this some sort of joke? Why bring months old evidence?” 

Phoenix shook his head. “This is brand new evidence. It was found in the victim’s room. Mr. Hagakure had an interest in the Kurain Channeling technique, and one day, around 5 months ago, he happened to run into my assistant Maya Fey,” Maya waved awkwardly to the courtroom. From their spots in the stands, both Pearl and Chihiro waved back. “He and another student, Leon Kuwata, brought her back to the school to perform a channeling, but as evidenced by the headmaster’s statement, visitors need authorization, and they didn’t have that. Instead, they used this system of camera blind spots to sneak her in, but they had help-” Phoenix pointed to the defendant’s chair, “-from the defendant himself! This proves that the defendant knew full well about the blind spots!” 

“This is ridiculous!” Edgeworth growled, striking his desk. “Who else could even corroborate-” 

“-I can!” 

Edgeworth’s eyes widened as none other that Kiyotaka spoke up. 

“What?! Mr. Ishimaru, you-you were…” Edgeworth seemed to be at a loss for words. He probably hadn’t expected to be undermined by his own witness. 

“Man, I wanted to be the one to say that,” Maya pouted. You’ll probably get another chance someday, considering your habit of ending up in court, Phoenix thought. 

Kiyotaka continued, standing up straight, at least having the courage to look Edgeworth in the eye. “I was there when Yasuhiro and his group, Makoto among them, snuck in Ms. Fey-I mean Maya- for the channeling. It was quite a sight, too. They used a similar strategy for their exit, but there were more of us by then, so we merely used our bodies to block Maya from view.” 

“Aren’t you the ultimate moral compass?” Edgeworth tried, grasping at straws. “Surely, you wouldn’t have been participating in a flagrant rule violation-” 

“-I recognize your need to try your case, Prosecutor Edgeworth, sir. However, the channeling that Hiro had arranged was for someone very dear to me-” Kiyotaka’s cheeks grew beet red. “-Someone I was willing to bend the rules for, just that time. Hiro actually used that blind spot path for a bunch of things that I did give him detention for, like unauthorized readings and such.” 

Kiyotaka sighed. “Mr. Wright is correct… Makoto did know… and now… I thought that testifying was the right thing to do… but… was I wrong? Is Makoto…” Kiyotaka finally looked up to the defendant’s chair, where Makoto sat, and it looked like he wanted to comfort Kiyotaka. He gave Kiyotaka a small smile, and Kiyotaka’s body began to quiver. 

“I’m sorry!” He shouted, his eyes pricking up with tears. “I cannot testify against my friend! Not when I don’t know the truth anymore! I thought I did, but there is so much I didn’t see…” Kiyotaka began to sob, his loud, sad screams reverberating across the courtroom.

The courtroom was abuzz, the class of 78 was at it again. The parties present at Maya’s channeling were confirming Phoenix’s story to their peers and Detective Gumshoe. 

“So… she can summon the dead?” Mukuro asked. 

“No,” Kyoko answered. “She just provides a vessel for the spirit for a brief time, so they can communicate with the living.” 

“And she takes on their features and everything,” Chihiro added. 

“She’s the master! You all should call her Mystic Maya!” Pearl interjected, a bit too proudly. 

“Hey, you can do that too, right shorty?” Junko asked. 

“Taka… he’s been real strong about this… I was worried he’d feel guilty… damn it!” Mondo swore from the gallery. Mondo sounded like he was aching seeing and hearing Kiyotaka break down, as the chatter around Maya’s ability abruptly stopped, and Sakura placed a hand on Mondo’s shoulder. 

The judge banged his gavel down, and the chatter stopped, and Kiyotaka rubbed his eyes, trying to stop the tears. 

“Poor Kiyotaka,” Maya winced. “He really thought he was doing the right thing.” 

Phoenix nodded. He turned to Edgeworth, who seemed noticeably worn, yet he didn’t look angry. In the past, Edgeworth would’ve probably been close to threatening Kiyotaka by now. Edgeworth merely sighed, and shook his head. 

“Mr. Ishimaru, you believed you were doing the right thing,” he said. “I still believe that you are. There is still sufficient evidence pointing to Makoto. The justice card does point to him. The knife has his prints. He was the only student in the vicinity of the killing. The prosecution’s points still stand.” 

Kiyotaka managed to stop crying, though he didn’t seem all too convinced by Edgeworth’s words. He said nothing at all, merely staring blankly at Edgeworth with teary eyes. 

“That’s not true!” Phoenix said. “Witness motive notwithstanding, the point remains that there are too many inconsistencies with this crime to convict my client. There were multiple options for escape for him, yet he didn’t take it. He should’ve been injured in a scuffle with the victim and using the crystal ball, yet he’s unscathed. It doesn’t add up!” Phoenix turned towards the Judge. “It’s too early to decide this case, Your Honor! We need to be certain of the facts, and we need to evaluate the alibis of the other students! Please, extend the trial!” 

The Judge sighed. “This trial has been a fight as always. I can’t deny that Mr. Naegi still has a rather hefty case against him…” The Judge paused. “However, I cannot pass judgement now, considering the amount of holes in the case presented by the defense, along with evidence that point to Mr. Naegi’s innocence. I am not ready to decide the fate of this boy without being certain. Therefore, I will extend this trial another day, and I, along with this court, expect both sides to investigate and gather evidence to support their cases, and a confirmation of alibis.” 

“Consider it done, Your Honor.” Edgeworth said with a bow. 

“We’re on it.” Phoenix said. 

The Judge nodded and gave his gavel the final slam for the day. “Court is adjourned!” 

******************************************************************************

May 1st, 1:25 PM

District Court

Defendant Lobby No.2 

  
  


Phoenix wiped sweat from his brow. Damn, another close call. The tide had certainly turned in his favor near the end there, and he could even see some of the students starting to come around. Heck, Kiyotaka started to believe him, and he was Edgeworth’s key witness. 

Phoenix turned to Makoto. “Sorry about how hectic it got-” 

“-Hectic!” Makoto’s eyes were wide. “Are you kidding?! That was so impressive! I could tell that Edgeworth wasn’t budging, but you refused to give up, and you had the Hazuraka poster as your secret weapon this whole time… you’re very impressive.” Makoto managed a smile. “I’d want to learn how to pull off something like that.” 

“Based on your statement during Kyoko’s testimony, I think you’ve got the groundwork for it,” Phoenix said with a half-smile. 

“I know we’ve still got a battle, but I’ve got hope you can win, if you can just pull off what you did today again tomorrow!” Makoto said. 

Phoenix sighed. He made it sound so easy, after all, he’d nearly lost the case in there multiple times, and he was pretty sure he’d almost passed out for a minute there. 

“Hey, since we’re going to be digging up alibis, what’s yours Makoto?” Maya asked. “After all, we’re going to be defending you.”

“Naegi!” The bailiff motioned Makoto over. 

“Oh, I’ll tell you tomorrow.” Makoto walked off, and Phoenix frowned. 

He’d seemed just a little too eager to be called away. He’d never even unlocked his psyche-lock, Phoenix realized. There was something about the night of the murder that Makoto wasn’t telling them, and it could very well be about his alibi. If he couldn’t figure it out, this whole case could fall apart. 

“Hey, there’s Pearly!” Maya opened her arms as Pearl ran to her. “Where’s the rest of the class?” 

“Oh, they had to go back to their school. Sayaka told me to thank you guys. She’s really happy you guys got an extension. She was almost in tears.” Pearl let go of Maya. “The whole class is talking about you guys now!” 

Well, let’s just hope they’re all saying good things, Phoenix hoped with a sigh. After all, he’d need to talk to them as soon as possible. If the exit was indeed blocked off, then that means that the killer would’ve still been in the school, and thus the student alibis were called into question. It couldn’t have been anyone who wasn’t already there. 

With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Phoenix realized what he should’ve seen all along. The killer was among the 78th class of Hope’s Peak Academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I wanted to combine some elements from Danganronpa's debates to Ace Attorney, so that's why I included the brief bits of Phoenix hearing the class talking on the jury, so it would be like Phoenix is hearing white noise like Makoto does during the debates. Also, I realized I never put the attorney's badge in the court record and that's a crime I must make up for.) 
> 
> Court Record (Updated)
> 
> Attorney’s Badge  
> [My attorney’s badge. It’s still shiny, even though the paint is starting to chip a bit.]
> 
> Headmaster’s Statement  
> [A statement given in writing by Headmaster Kirigiri detailing the basic rules of Hope’s Peak. Also talks about cameras.]
> 
> Autopsy Report  
> [Approximate time of death dated April 29th, 9:50 PM. Victim suffered from multiple stab wounds of different length, along with head trauma. Died from blood loss.]
> 
> Miscellaneous Shards  
> [Broken shards thought to be from a crystal ball belonging to Yasuhiro Hagakure. Used to injure the victim.]
> 
> Blood Stain Photos  
> [Photos of the blood stains covering Yasuhiro’s floor. According to Kyoko, the placement of the blood is quite odd.]
> 
> Knife  
> [A rather peculiar knife that was found in the victim’s room, covered in his blood. Has fingerprints belonging to Makoto Naegi.]
> 
> Justice Card  
> [A card from Yasuhiro’s deck labeled: Justice. Has a bloody drawing, thought to be a clover, along with a rather neat ‘M’ on the card.]
> 
> Yasuhiro’s Note  
> [A note written by the victim, saying that he’s leaving his door unlocked for a studying session. The handwriting is surprisingly neat.]
> 
> Oh! Cult Flyer  
> [A poster detailing a getaway at Hazaraka Temple and a chance to learn about the Kurain channeling technique. Found in Yasuhiro Hagakure’s room]
> 
> Dormitory Layout  
> [A diagram of where all the students’ dorms are, along with the positions of the cameras in the hallway. Made by the AI, Alter Ego. The camera’s fields of vision have been shaded in by Kyoko.]
> 
> Map of Hope’s Peak  
> [A map of the overall campus of Hope’s Peak made by Alter Ego. It is rather large.]
> 
> Makoto’s Hoodie  
> [A rather comfortable looking brown hoodie belonging to the defendant. It is stained with the victim’s blood.]
> 
> Kyoko’s Testimony  
> [Talks about Makoto’s condition the night he was arrested. It’s rather concise.]
> 
> Kiyotaka’s Testimony  
> [Makoto had a 7 minute period to leave the room. Also, he had the knife on him before Yasuhiro was moved.]


	5. Day 2- Investigation (Phoenix)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phoenix returns to Hope's Peak to gather more evidence for his case. With the fallout from the trial still in the air, Phoenix must cut through the lies of the students and avoid succumbing to the atmosphere of paranoia in order to discover the truth. Phoenix will have new allies, but will he have new enemies as well?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I nearly didn't finish this for my weekend deadline. It turned out even longer than I'd envisioned, and it's very heavy on character interaction. I'd say this will be the most character-driven of the investigation chapters, though don't hold me to that. Anyway, I hope you guys like reading, because this is LONG. I also feel like it's going to be apparent which characters I had the most fun writing, because there are a few scenes that were super fun to write. 
> 
> Look at the end notes, because I have a question for the readers concerning their preference for the next chapter, but I'm not posting it here because it would spoil the chapter.

May 1st

Hope’s Peak Academy-Main Gate

When Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl arrived at the entrance of Hope’s Peak Academy, it was scarily deserted, aside from a few stray policemen acting as sentinels, probably to hound off the press, or prevent their mystery assassin from killing another student. Not like it would do any good, Phoenix thought. The real killer had probably walked past the cops a dozen times by now. Still, it was a bit weird that no one was here to greet them. 

A part of Phoenix was relieved, he wasn’t sure which of the students he could trust just yet. There was a part of him that didn’t trust any of them. More importantly, he didn’t want to lose track of Maya or Pearl, neither of whom seemed to suspect the killer was a student. He wanted to tell them his discovery, but a voice stopped him before he could utter a word. 

“Mr. Wright! Mr Wright!” 

Phoenix turned to see Sayaka running towards them, waving her arms in greeting. Before Phoenix could ask her anything, he felt the wind being knocked out of him as she gave him a rather strong hug. Phoenix found himself wondering if she’d accidentally crushed the ribs of her fans with those hugs. 

“Oh, thank you so much!” Sayaka’s eyes pricked with happy tears as she let go of Phoenix. “The way you fought for Makoto was amazing! I was so worried, but you really pulled through! Thank you so much!” 

“Oh, uh… it’s no problem!” Phoenix said bashfully. “It’s just my job.” 

“Hey, where’s my thank you?!” Maya said. “I was an invaluable member of the team!” 

Phoenix rolled his eyes. Maya was great moral support, but it couldn’t be denied that he did most of the work. Of course, Maya would kill him if he said that out loud. Sayaka didn’t seem to mind, hugging and thanking Maya as well, who beamed with pride. 

“Was I nice to sit with?” Pearl asked.

“You were the best courtroom companion an idol could have, Pearl.” Sayaka smiled and hugged Pearl, who glowed with adoration. “I have your flowers in a vase in my room now too.” 

Pearl jumped up for joy, and Maya laughed. Phoenix found himself smiling too, but he reminded himself that Sayaka could be the killer. All of this kindness and charm could be a ruse. Already, Pearl loved her, and Maya did too. They were enamored with her, as they laughed with Sayaka, the latter now scooping up Pearl to get a piggyback ride, the little Fey squealing with delight. Phoenix admitted he’d been a bit starstruck by her reputation at first, and he found her to be surprisingly sweet, considering she was a celebrity. Maybe that was part of her act, to use her sweet reputation and star power to lure people in--he needed to calm down. Phoenix took a deep breath. If Sayaka was the killer, why would she be advocating so hard for Makoto? Still, he had to be sure. 

“Sayaka, can I ask you where you were on the night of the murder?” Phoenix gripped the Magatama in his jacket pocket. 

“You don’t trust me?” Sayaka’s face fell suddenly. 

“I trust you! Mr. Nick’s just being mean!” Pearl said from her perch on Sayaka’s shoulders. 

“N-no, I didn’t say I don’t trust you!” Phoenix lied. 

“It’s alright, I can tell you’re suspicious. You think I might be the murderer or something. You’re starting to suspect a lot of people, probably.” Sayaka looked straight at Phoenix, before giving him a slight smile. “You don’t have to lie to me, I’m psychic. I can read your thoughts.” 

“You’re psychic?!” Pearl giggled. “Wow, you must have so much spiritual power! You should be a medium! I’ll train you!” She rolled up her sleeve, trying to look tough from her place on Sayaka’s back. 

Phoenix tried to mask his shock, but failed miserably, his eyes widening. Maya mouthed “knew it”, and he couldn’t even come up with a retort. 

“Sorry to disappoint you,” Sayaka laughed apologetically. “I’ve just got great intuition. I like saying I’m psychic. It tends to freak people out. Like you, Mr. Wright!”

“Your alibi?” Phoenix sighed. “Please? Before I pass out from whiplash?” 

“Sure,” Sayaka said. “I was in the music room on the fourth floor the whole time with Leon. He can back me up. He asked me to practice some music with him, he wants to be a musician. He’s really talented!” 

“Sorry for asking,” Phoenix said. Well, he was kind of sorry. It did give him peace of mind knowing that Sayaka had an alibi. He really did like her, and she seemed to be a good role model for Pearl, who was now starting to tie Sayaka’s hair up like Maya’s from the latter’s shoulders. 

“It’s no problem,” Sayaka said. “It’s your job! Besides… maybe it’ll help Makoto.” 

“Oh, so you and Leon, all alone, huh?” Pearl sighed dreamily. “Were your songs romantic?” 

“No, why?” Sayaka asked, seemingly missing the sappy tone of Pearl’s voice. 

Judging by the slight blush that adorned her face, Phoenix guessed she’d probably just chosen to ignore Pearl’s tone. Pearl had a habit of finding romance in everything, even if the moment didn’t really call for it. 

“Oh! I came to get you guys!” Sayaka snapped her fingers, probably wanting to change the subject before Pearl could go on. Phoenix could hardly blame her. 

“Yeah, where is everyone?” Maya asked. “It’s a total ghost town up here!” 

“Well… you guys should just come with me.” Sayaka’s face grew worried. “Let’s just say that everyone wants to know more about you after today’s trial.” 

Phoenix raised an eyebrow, and he felt a lump in his throat. One of those students was a killer, and they’d definitely want to pick his brain, get to his weaknesses. Matt Engarde did that with kidnapping Maya, Dahlia Hawthorne by toying with his emotions. He needed to stay on his guard, not just for his sake, but for Maya and Pearl as well. As Sayaka set off with a laughing Pearl on her shoulders, Maya raced after them. Phoenix ran too, not wanting to let either of them out of his sight. 

******************************************************************************

May 1st

Library

“Where are we?” Pearl asked, as Sayaka led them inside the building. 

“We’re in the Hope’s Peak Academy library, Pearl.” Sayaka said gently. “This is where we probably would’ve been studying right about now, if…y’know…” She trailed off, suddenly looking dejected again. Sayaka lowered Pearl from her shoulders, and gently set her on the ground. 

Worriedly, Pearl took Sayaka’s hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sad.” 

“It’s not your fault,” Sayaka gave Pearl’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “You didn’t say anything wrong, Pearl. Besides, I could never be too sad when you’re here to do my hair.” Sayaka smiled and flipped her hair, showing off the top knot Pearl had given her. Pearl smiled back, once again thrilled to have the pop star’s praise. 

“Man, she looks better with my hair style than I do, Nick.” Maya whined. “It’s not even fair.” 

Phoenix sighed, honestly not too concerned with Maya’s hair woes. He looked around the room, and he saw an area with lamps and tables, and more importantly, a large majority of the students were there, reading. There was a room behind the tables labeled:  **Archives** , and it looked utterly ransacked, papers and files strewn about everywhere. 

“So…” Sayaka bit her lip sheepishly. “You should know that Hope’s Peak has access to a lot of legal records and stuff, so um-” 

“-Ah, you are here. I must say, your luck impresses me, even if you yourself are not remotely remarkable.” 

Phoenix turned to see Celeste, holding a steaming cup of tea. She gave him a perfunctory curtsy, though based on the thinly-veiled contempt in her eyes, she probably did it as a formality, not respect. If anything, Celeste’s stare creeped Phoenix out. He shuddered. Hifumi came up to the group, stuffing a manila file into his backpack. 

“I got the most interesting looking one, like you said, Mistress Lundenberg,” Hifumi said. “O-oh!” He looked up at Phoenix, then hastily zipped up his backpack. 

“Hey, what’s in that file?” Maya asked. “You can’t just not show us!” 

“Miss Fey, it is none of your business!” Hifumi said. “What Mistress Lundenberg chooses to look at in her spare time is none of our business!” 

“Oh, you can allow them a small peek, underling. It won’t do any harm. After all, it seems everyone else had the same ideas as us.” Celeste snapped her fingers, and Hifumi opened his backpack. 

Hifumi took out the file, and Phoenix’s eyes widened. His name was printed on the tab.  **Wright-Powers** , was exactly what the file said. 

“Is that… about me?” Phoenix asked, nervousness creeping into his voice. 

“Hmm, you really didn’t need to state the obvious, Mr. Wright. Honestly, I am not sure how you’re a lawyer. Have you not guessed what everyone is doing here?” Celeste rolled her eyes. 

Phoenix felt rather small in that moment, with Celeste, a student, calling him an idiot to his face. She seemed to view him as rather inferior, but based on the rather annoyed look on Sayaka’s face, he could at least take comfort in knowing that he wasn’t the only one she treated this way. Well, it could be worse, Phoenix reasoned. He could be in Hifumi’s position, which seemed like a place only a masochist would enjoy. 

Hifumi flipped through the file, eyes widening at the pictures of the Steel Samurai. Based on his talent, he’d probably be into that kind of show, Phoenix reasoned. “Everyone’s been looking at your case files, and Mr. Edgeworth’s!” The doujin exclaimed. “This all seems so exciting, and we just wanted to know more! I can’t believe we all missed out on this! You have to tell me about the Steel Samurai! But there were some that were already missing-” 

Celeste held up her hand, and Hifumi fell silent. “Don’t beg him, underling. It’s undignified.” Hifumi sighed and nodded, like a kid whose lollipop had been taken away. 

“Before I forget,” Phoenix started. “Can I ask you two where you were on the night of the murder?” 

“Of course you may ask,” Celeste said, twirling a lock of her hair. “Yamada and I were in the media room the whole time with Junko. We were playing cards, and watching that little show of Junko’s that she adores so much-” Celeste paused. “What was it, again?” 

“W-warriors of Hope vs. Despair,” Hifumi said. “The episode was quite good.” 

“Don’t spoil it!” Maya said. “We never got to watch it!” 

“So, can you confirm Celeste’s alibi, Hifumi?” Phoenix pressed. 

Hifumi wiped some sweat from his brow, and took off his glasses. Phoenix clutched his Magatama. “Yes,” Hifumi said, wiping his glasses before placing them back on his face. “I can confirm everything Celeste said is true.” 

Two psyche-locks flew into place in front of the oblivious Hifumi, the latter sighing with false relief. I can’t let him know I’m onto him just yet, Phoenix thought. I need to gather evidence to confront Hifumi with, and get him to tell the truth. Just what was he lying about, though? Was he covering for Celeste, or himself? Maybe Junko? Still, he didn’t trust Hifumi or Celeste, that was for certain. She was condescending and creepy, and he was too servile to her to be reliable. 

“Come on, underling. I’ve grown bored of this conversation.” Celeste took a sip from her tea, before handing the cup to Hifumi, whose sweaty palms fumbled it, leading to some of the tea spilling out onto the floor. 

“Look what you’ve done, damnit!” Celeste snarled. “That was perfectly good tea! You incompetent loser!” Celeste glared daggers at Hifumi, who cowered in fear. 

“Hey, it’s just tea! Let up a little!” Maya interjected, trying to save Hifumi from certain doom. 

“You butt out of this, you lowly, mousy FREAK!” Celeste spat angrily. 

Phoenix gulped, and Maya shrank back. He’d never seen a side to Celeste that wasn’t creepily poised and in control, so this was new, and absolutely terrifying. How did Hifumi put up with her like this? Based on his cowering, Phoenix reasoned that Hifumi had a healthy dose of fear when it came to Celeste. Maybe he could use this, and maybe that was the real reason Hifumi had been lying, not to protect Celeste, but because he was too scared to say anything. 

“I’m sorry, Mistress! Your servant will make up for this! I promise total obedience!” Hifumi blurted out, clasping his hands together in apology. 

Celeste took a deep breath, and her rage seemed to subside. “Naturally, you will make up for your ineptitude. Now, we shall take our leave from these people. I’m already annoyed with them.” She glared at Maya. “Especially her.” 

Hifumi and Celeste walked off, Hifumi carrying Celeste’s tea like his life depended on it. Well, it probably did, actually. Phoenix felt worried. If Hifumi spilled that tea, they might never see him again. As odd as he was, he didn’t deserve to die. Unless he was the killer. Phoenix doubted it, he couldn’t seem to do anything without Celeste’s approval. 

“She called Mystic Maya a freak!” Pearl fumed. “She should apologize!” 

“Celeste is… like that, sometimes. She likes being revered and perfect, and tends to say some nasty things when she doesn’t view you as a worthy opponent or useful in any way.” Sayaka sighed apologetically. “I’m sorry she called Maya a freak, but knowing Celeste, she’ll probably never apologize.” 

“I think I kinda… undermined her with her meltdown there.” Maya said with a dejected shrug. “I get liking tea, but that’s pretty excessive.” 

“Everything about Celeste seems kinda excessive. Her clothes, hair, and uh… unique personality.” Phoenix said with an eye roll. 

“I don’t like her,” Pearl said with a glare to the spot where Celeste had stood. 

“I wonder if there is anyone she actually gets along with, considering her nasty attitude,” Maya said, crossing her arms. 

“Actually,” Sayaka said, “Celeste and I get along fine, though we never hang out. Celeste also seems to not mind being around Kyoko, Junko, or Chihiro. There’s also her kinda odd friendship… or whatever it is… with Hifumi,” Sayaka’s eyebrows furrowed. “I actually think that if you’re smart enough and have status, she’ll respect you well enough. I don’t think she views you guys as anything special, that’s all. Sorry, her views, not mine.” 

“What about Makoto?” Phoenix asked. 

Sayaka nodded affirmatively. “Yeah, actually. She actually got along with Makoto pretty well, probably because he put up with her so easily. He and Hifumi have that rare ability to do whatever she says without questioning it.” 

Phoenix nodded. Well, there goes a possible motive for framing Makoto. Still, Celeste was definitely not off his list. She had the detached demeanor and hidden rage needed to commit a murder. Maybe Hiro accidentally spilled her tea one time or something. 

“Hey, Sayaka!” Leon ran up to the group, a file in hand. This one read  **Wright-Byrde.** “You took forever!” Leon turned toward Phoenix. “Hey, Mr. Wright! Great job in court today, I thought it was going to be boring, but you and that Edgeworth guy really surprised me.” 

Maybe, if it was boring, my job would finally get easier, Phoenix thought. “First, Celeste, now you too?!” Phoenix pointed at the file. “Is everyone going through my old cases?!” 

“Yeah, actually.” Leon shrugged apologetically. “We all wanted to know more about you, and it helps us to keep our minds off of Makoto being in jail, or Hiro…” Leon sighed. “Actually, I don’t think it’s working. Everyone’s still on edge, now even more so with Makoto’s guilt being questionable. And of course, no one’s forgotten about Hiro.” 

“Of course,” Phoenix said. “He was your friend, and Makoto still is your friend.” 

“It’s not just that,” Leon said with a frown. “Its-nevermind. Maybe later.” Leon bit his lip and ran a hand through his hair, trying to act casual. He obviously had something on his mind.

Phoenix raised an eyebrow, but he realized he had a more important question to ask. “Leon, where were you on the night of the murder?” 

“We’re asking everyone,” Maya interjected. “This isn’t us singling you out!” 

“I was in the music room with Sayaka on the fourth floor,” Leon said. “We were practicing together the whole time. She’s helping me with my vocals.” 

Phoenix nodded. “That’s what Sayaka said too.” 

“Yay, Sayaka and Leon totally didn’t do it!” Pearl cheered, hugging Sayaka. “I knew it couldn’t be Sayaka! I didn’t know about Leon, though.” 

“Hey!” Leon protested. “Hiro was my friend, you know! I’d have fought off that killer with a baseball bat if I’d been there!” Leon crossed his arms, clutching at the sleeves of his jacket. “I wasn’t there, though.” 

Pearl guiltily looked at Leon, but avoided direct eye contact. “I’m sorry.” 

Leon chose to look at his shoes. “Don’t apologize,” he said sullenly. “It doesn’t matter anymore anyway. What happened, happened.” 

Phoenix felt the mood in the room, which was already tense to begin with, plummet. Leon, wanting to avoid the pitying gazes of the rest of the group, motioned for them to follow him, where he led them into the study area of the library, past the shelf they’d been standing behind. 

When they arrived, Phoenix could see that the students had split up into certain groups that he guessed held over into their regular school lives as well. Junko and Mukuro were sitting together, Mukuro intensely focused on reading the file in front of her, while Junko doodled in the margins of the file. At a table by herself, Toko was furiously writing, already amassing quite the stack of paper, occasionally looking in a file by her side. Phoenix was surprised she was out with the rest of the students. Hina and Sakura were flipping through a few papers together, exchanging whispers as well. Chihiro was also looking through a file, elbowing Mondo to show him something in the file. Mondo looked rather preoccupied with trying to comfort a rather forlorn looking Kiyotaka, who didn’t look much better than he had a few hours ago on the stand. 

Toko was the nearest one to them, and Maya wasted no time walking up to her table. Considering what he knew about Toko, that being that she was a major flight risk, Phoenix didn’t think this was the best idea. Unfortunately, it was far too late. 

“What are you writing?” Maya asked with a cheeky grin, popping up behind Toko and looking over her shoulder. 

“H-h-hey!” Toko shot up, and began to gather her papers in her hand. “L-leave m-me alone!” She looked around frantically. “M-master is gone! H-he was j-just here!” 

“He left over an hour ago,” Hina interjected. “You do realize he grabbed his files and just left, right?” 

Toko clutched at her papers and looked at the floor. “H-he s-said he’d b-be right back,” 

“He obviously can’t stand you, get a hint,” Junko said with an eye roll. “Seriously, it’s pretty embarrassing for you.” 

“Can I ask you some questions about the night of the murder?” Phoenix asked. He tried his best to look encouraging, as he could see Toko already eyeing the exit. “I promise-” 

“N-no! I don’t k-know a-anything!” Toko shrank back as she felt everyone’s gaze shift to her. 

Phoenix gripped his magatama, and sure enough, two psyche-locks flew into place in front of Toko as well. Seriously?! Would there be students who actually weren’t hiding something? Phoenix felt himself starting to grow frustrated. 

“Please, at least let me see what you wrote down,” he tried. “It’s about me anyway-” 

“I-it’s n-not about y-you! I-I w-was with m-master, b-by the g-gym-” Toko stopped, unable to take the stares, and she sprinted past them, her braids flying behind her in a panic as she fled the room. 

Well, that went just as poorly as I thought it would, Phoenix sighed. It wasn’t a total loss, however, Phoenix soon realized. His eyes trailed down to the ground, where two pieces of paper had fallen from Toko’s arms. In her frenzy to get away, she’d dropped them, and didn’t realize it. Before he could grab it, Maya walked ahead of him and picked it up. 

“Oh, this one is a title page, Nick!” Maya scanned the page, and a rather mischievous grin broke out on her face. “Oh… it’s called  _ Fiery Passion of the Demon Prosecutor _ ,” Maya’s grin widened. “Sounds like something you’d be into, Nick.” 

“Give me those!” Phoenix’s face reddened as he snatched the papers from a smirking Maya. “Is this based on… Edgeworth?” He read the back of the title page and the other page that Toko dropped. The demon prosecutor was a literal demon who banished his witnesses and defendants alike to the depths of hell, all while being seductive and handsome. Phoenix felt his face burning up as he read. 

“Hey, let me see!” Pearl said. “I want to read it!”

“No!” Phoenix said quickly, stuffing the pages into his pockets. “It’s… uh… not something you’d like.” 

“It’s a romance isn’t it,” Leon said with an eye roll. “Gross. Who’d even like someone as stuffy as that Edgeworth guy anyway?” 

“Well, Toko would.” Sayaka said. “She does like Byakuya, after all.” 

“Yeah, good point. They’re both a couple of snobs,” Leon said. 

“Hey, Edgeworth isn’t like that Togami kid!” Phoenix said without even thinking. “He really cares about justice, even if he seems intense and stuffy at times! He’s really a good person.” 

“Yes, of course. You do know him,” Sayaka said, giving Phoenix a knowing smile that caused his already red face to burn up even more. “I guess Toko didn’t do him justice by making him a demon.” 

It is an interesting choice, Phoenix noted. If she really did like Edgeworth, wouldn’t she give him a portrayal that was more flattering, like a white knight? Phoenix patted his jacket where the pages were. Maybe he could ask Toko about that later. If she’d even talk to him. 

“Mr. Wright!” Kiyotaka stood up abruptly, as if he’d finally come back to Earth. He marched over to where Phoenix was standing, and started to take off the badges that adorned his uniform. His red eyes were still puffy from crying, Phoenix noticed. “I insist that you take my badges, because I am clearly not worthy of upholding justice!” He offered the badges to Phoenix. 

“Don’t ya dare say that sh-” Mondo was elbowed by Chihiro, who nodded her head towards Pearl. 

Mondo sighed, knowing that everyone would be furious if he swore in front of Pearl. “Kyoudai, come on. Ya aren’t a bad guy. Ya just thought ya saw the murder… anyone woulda done what you did! Ya proved you’re more worthy of those badges than anyone!” 

“He’s right,” Phoenix said. “You testified because you thought you were doing the right thing, even though you and Makoto are friends. Besides, I already have my own badge.” Phoenix managed a small smile and pointed out the attorney’s badge on his lapel. 

Kiyotaka sniffled, and clutched his badges in his hand. “You are a most admirable man, Phoenix Wright. If you need my help for anything, you will have it!” Kiyotaka gave Phoenix a salute. 

“Wait, so do you believe Makoto now?” Maya asked. 

Kiyotaka nodded. “I do, though I am not certain.” His eyebrows furrowed. “I still saw what I did, and Prosecutor Edgeworth still seemed to think it’s Makoto. He seemed like someone of sound judgment. I trusted him going into the trial, anyway.” 

“Why?” Mondo asked, crossing his arms. “He seemed like a total-” he trailed off, noticing Kiyotaka’s glare as he nodded his head towards Pearl. “Man, can someone jus’ cover Pearl’s ears?” Mondo sighed. “It’s really fuckin’ hard not to swear.” 

“Mondo!” Kiyotaka scolded. “You will watch your language around Pearl!” 

Luckily, Maya had lunged to cover Pearl’s ears in the nick of time. They’d gotten lucky this time, but Phoenix knew that if Pearl spent enough time around the delinquent, she’d definitely pick up some new words. 

“If my cousin picks up any swear words from you…” Maya shook her head. “I hope Hina beat you in that push up contest.” 

“I was so going to!” Hina piped up from the next table. 

“Ya f-freakin’ wish!” Mondo turned to Hina, who stuck her tongue out at him. 

“Anyway,” Kiyotaka shook his head. “I trusted Prosecutor Edgeworth because he is logical, and we have talked before when we met years ago! Besides, he is clearly in his field because he wants to serve justice. He defended me when the judge asked about my family, and was rather understanding about…well, us.” Kiyotaka caught Mondo’s eye, and the latter blushed with realization. 

“Ya told him? What about-” 

“He said he could tell, based on how I looked when I talked about you.” Kiyotaka’s face turned pink. “I guess I was obvious. He seemed very understanding about it, anyway. I do not believe he is a bad person. I just… think he isn’t right on this one. He does not know Makoto like we do, that’s all. But… it means he is unbiased in his assumptions as well.” Kiyotaka clutched his armband. “It is a rather fine line, isn’t it?” 

Phoenix raised an eyebrow. He’d wondered if the students had changed allegiances at all, and it seemed like the tides were turning, but it wasn’t for certain. There was still doubt lingering, and Edgeworth certainly hadn’t lost all his credibility with the students. More importantly, it seemed like Phoenix gained some credibility, as if his case wasn’t a sinking ship anymore. 

“So, your alibi can be confirmed by Mondo, Hina, Sakura, and the headmaster when you went to get him, is that right?” Phoenix asked Kiyotaka. 

Kiyotaka nodded. “Affirmative! I can confirm Mondo, Hina, and Sakura for the time I was there as well.” 

“I suppose the three of us can vouch for each other in the time you were gone,” Sakura said, standing up and gathering up the file she and Hina were reading. “We were all together the whole time.” 

No psyche-locks, Phoenix observed. He supposed it would’ve been near impossible for one of them to do it, considering that they’d have to pass Kiyotaka in order to commit the murder. Still, he had to admit that Mondo and Sakura definitely had the physiques to overpower just about anyone. Though they didn’t seem to have motives, they both seemed to like Makoto and Hiro well enough. 

“Hey, were you guys friends with Hiro?” Maya asked. 

“Yeah,” Hina said, her ponytail slumping. “Hiro was kind of an airhead, but he was fun to hang out with. He was kind of a calming presence, you know? Well, when he wasn’t talking about aliens and the illuminati.”

“Yasuhiro was a good person!” Kiyotaka almost yelled. “His academics needed improvement, but he did care about his friends!” 

“I take it the whole class liked him, then,” Maya said. 

Mondo frowned. “I wouldn’t say everyone,”

“Well, some people are just harder to get along with, hehe.” Chihiro said with a weary smile. It was rather obvious who she was talking about. 

“Hey, where were you on the night of the murder, Chihiro?” Phoenix asked. 

“There’s no way it’s Chihiro, Mr. Nick! She’s too sweet!” Pearl said with a frown. 

Once again, Phoenix noticed Chihiro’s momentary tenseness at Pearl’s last statement, but it disappeared as soon as it was there. What’s so wrong with being called sweet, Phoenix wondered. It seemed rather unlikely that the murderer could be Chihiro regardless, the programmer was rather soft in nature, and appeared to be the smallest kid in the class. 

“I was in my room the whole time,” Chihiro said, and her eyes began to prick with tears. “I was just watching that new episode of  _ Warriors of Hope vs. Despair _ , and I had my headphones in, so I couldn’t hear anything! If I hadn’t been wearing them… maybe I could’ve helped.” Chihiro sniffled. 

“Do not be ashamed, Chihiro! You are not at fault!” Kiyotaka insisted. “You would have just put yourself at risk if you’d gone to help!” 

“No!” Chihiro protested. “I should’ve been more alert. I would’ve helped. I’m not so weak that I’d be useless!” 

“I never said you are weak,” Kiyotaka said, a concerned look spreading across his face. “Besides, if I had not declined to study with Yasuhiro and Makoto then maybe-” 

“You both need to relax. You guys aren’t the sole ones who could’ve prevented this or anything,” Leon said with a sigh. “Let’s face it, multiple people could’ve done more. Hell, if Mr. Wright’s argument is the truth, then Makoto was the only one who actually helped Hiro!” Leon’s fists curled. “Makoto tried to help, a-and we just abandoned him, left him behind and Sayaka tried t-to tell us b-but… ” Leon took a deep breath, and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to calm himself before he broke down. 

An overwhelming silence enveloped the library as the weight of Leon’s statement fell upon the group. No one seemed to know what to say, their silence seemingly confirming Leon’s statement. Phoenix frowned. He didn’t realize just how much some of them really blamed themselves. There was an undercurrent of despair that tainted the atmosphere at the school, and it flowed over into the way the students acted. Even if they put on a smile, or tried to encourage their classmates, there was no denying the ramifications of the murder and Makoto’s arrest were still reverberating around the school. Phoenix sighed. He didn’t know quite how to proceed, but he knew he couldn’t just say nothing. 

“Look,” Phoenix sighed. “You guys can’t blame yourselves, okay? It isn’t what Hiro would want, and it is certainly not what Makoto would want. He’d want you guys to have faith in him and band together! You guys need to support him, and each other!” Phoenix found himself getting a bit pumped up. Staring at the group in front of him, it was hard for him to envision any of them as the murderer.

“Mr. Wright is absolutely correct!” Kiyotaka said. “I am most ashamed of questioning any of my classmates. Let us all have faith in each other!” 

“Yeah, we can’t lose hope! Mr. Wright will find the real killer, and our class can reunite with Makoto!” Chihiro added. 

Phoenix maintained his smile, but on the inside, his momentary burst of energy had faded. He still suspected a student of the crime, but they couldn’t know that. It would tear this fragile group apart to know that one of them was the killer. Phoenix felt bad about keeping his suspicions a secret, but he reasoned it would do more good for the group’s unity and as to not alert the killer. 

“You always believed in your defendants too, right spiky?” Hina said with a grin. 

“Yeah,” Phoenix lied, choosing not to tell them about Matt Engarde. He was surprised they hadn’t read about that one. 

“We only got to see some of your files,” Hina added. “Byakuya had already gotten to the archives first and took a bunch without even letting us see. He’s always hanging around here, it’s annoying.” She rolled her eyes. “I don’t even remember which ones he took. Hey, Mukuro--” Hina crossed her arms. “Oh, she and Junko just left.” 

“Why would they leave?” Maya questioned. “They knew we were questioning people!” 

“Junko just wanted to relax a bit. She’s sunbathing outside,” Mukuro’s deadpan voice rang out as she reentered the library. “We were not running. As for my alibi, I was watching the new  _ Warriors of Hope vs. Despair.  _ Junko was playing cards with Celeste and Hifumi.” Phoenix reached for his magatama. No psyche-locks. That ruled Junko out of being the person Hifumi was protecting with his lie. 

“Thanks,” Phoenix said. 

Mukuro nodded, though she didn’t look comfortable with being there. Come to think about it, this was the only time he’d seen Mukuro without her sister. “I saw what files Togami had.” Mukuro said gruffly. “Two of them had  **Wright-Fey** on the tabs.” 

“You’ve got a good eye,” Sayaka smiled at Mukuro. “Befitting of the ultimate soldier.” 

Mukuro blushed slightly at the praise. “Thank you. It is not much of a talent.” Mukuro turned and left, without another word to the group. She was all business, Phoenix reasoned. 

“Mukuro can be nice when you catch her in a good mood,” Sayaka said, as if she was reading Phoenix’s thoughts. “Makoto always seemed to bring out a fun side of her.” 

Phoenix found himself wondering how a seemingly universally beloved student like Makoto would have somebody who’d even want to frame him. Maybe, the scene had never been intended for Makoto. Phoenix had more questions now then he did answers. 

“Where’s Kyoko?” Pearl asked. That’s a good question, Phoenix thought. Kyoko was nowhere to be found. 

“Oh, shi-” Leon was interrupted by a rough elbow from Sakura, and a glance towards Pearl. “Sorry,” he wheezed. “Kyoko mentioned to me that she was going to look at Hiro’s room again. I was supposed to tell you, but I just started reading about this case with Mr. Wright and this Maggey Byrde chick. I mean, who’d buy a yellow baseball glove? That’s an ugly color.” 

“The cases are quite cool to read about,” Hina said. “Sakura and I were reading this one involving this clock, and this guy named Larry Butz. I had to put the file down a few times because his name was so funny.” 

Phoenix sighed. Of course, Larry was inescapable. “So, which files are accounted for?” Phoenix glanced around. 

The group of kids left in the library, plus Maya and Pearl, gathered the files and stacked them on a single table. Phoenix scanned over the files, and he felt his heart drop. Engarde’s case was missing, and so were both of Dahlia’s. Also, the case involving Damon Gant and Manfred von Karma were also gone. 

“Nick, both of the cases you defended me in are gone,” Maya said with a worried look. “Didn’t Mukuro say something about Byakuya having them?” 

“I guess that means Byakuya has all the missing ones,” Phoenix felt a sense of dread. These cases were deliberately taken, they were his most personal ones. If it was Byakuya, then he was planning something for sure. Something involving his past. He pushed those thoughts out of his head. He’d have to confront Byakuya later.

“Let’s go meet up with Kyoko,” Phoenix said, trying not to look worried. “We’ll track down the files later.” 

Maya and Pearl nodded, though they both looked concerned. 

“Hey, Sayaka and I can come with you again, right?” Leon asked. “We really need to see this through, Mr. Wright. Please.” Leon stared down Phoenix with a determined look, and Sayaka’s eyes were just as pleading. 

“Sure,” Phoenix sighed. “For now.” 

“Thank you!” Sayaka said. 

“We won’t get in your way,” Leon promised. 

“Chihiro, do you mind assisting me with something?” Kiyotaka took Chihiro aside, and whispered (Phoenix didn’t realize Kiyotaka had a whisper voice) something to the programmer. Chihiro smiled and nodded. The two sat down at the table and Chihiro opened her laptop and began to type feverishly. “When we are finished with this, we will show you, Mr. Wright! We hope it will help you!” 

Phoenix just nodded, completely unaware of what they were doing. 

“We will track down Togami and those files,” Sakura said, gesturing to herself, Hina, and Mondo. “Hopefully, it will ease your mind.” 

“Yeah, thanks.” Phoenix said. “When you find him, come get me. I’ll need to ask him questions.” 

Sakura nodded, before she set off with Hina and Mondo in tow. Chihiro and Kiyotaka were crowded around the former’s laptop. Phoenix sighed as he left the library, with the rest of the group in tow. Even if he was uncertain of how long this uneasy harmony would last, it was nice to have allies. At least some of the students weren’t his enemies. Probably.

******************************************************************************

May 1st

Dormitory Hallway

Phoenix nearly missed it. He’d been in such a hurry to get to Hiro’s room, that he’d nearly missed the piece of paper in front of Toko’s room. He stopped to pick it up. He scanned it quickly as the others ran up to him. It was another page of Toko's manuscript. It was deeper into the story than the first two, and on this page, there was another character. It was a knight clad in blue velvet, who was trying to banish the demon prosecutor back to hell. The knight was condemning the demon for mercilessly boiling his witnesses along with the defendants, and the knight was described as having wild hair-

“Hey, what’s that, Nick?” Maya asked. 

“It’s nothing,” Phoenix said, placing the third page of the manuscript in his pocket with the other two. So, was Edgeworth the antagonist? What did that say? The gears began to turn in his head, but he pushed it aside. 

Phoenix resumed his stride forward towards Hiro’s room, the rest of the group following him.He couldn’t deny he felt a bit more… noble than before. He’d definitely have to buy Toko’s book once it was released. 

******************************************************************************

May 1st 

Yasuhiro’s Room

“I should’ve figured you’d show up eventually, Wright.” Edgeworth said, eyeing Phoenix as he entered the room. 

Kyoko turned from where she was, hunched over Yasuhiro’s desk, and walked over to Phoenix and the rest of the group, who’d filed in. Kyoko was shuffling Yasuhiro’s card deck with a quizzical look on her face. 

“Hey, Kyoko. Are you alright?” Maya asked, concern splayed across her features. “You were really good on the stand yesterday, but still-” 

Kyoko held up her hand. “I’m fine,” she said. “I was just doing my job.” 

“You sure?” Maya prodded, trying to get the guarded detective to open up. “I mean, you and Makoto-” 

“-Testifying was my decision, I was prepared to deal with my conflicting emotions.” Kyoko said. She fiddled with her gloves, and her brows furrowed. “I did not think he’d speak up, though.” A look of fondness flashed across her face for a brief moment before she became stoic again. “However, Makoto is nothing if not intuitive and determined. Maybe I should’ve expected it. I just wish… I could’ve helped him.” 

“There is nothing you could’ve done, Detective,” Edgeworth interjected. “You did a very commendable job on the stand, especially considering your closeness with the defendant and the fact that it was your first official testimony as a detective. Makoto… I feel he is the type of defendant who would like to take the case into his hands when he can and make sure the truth is out there,” Edgeworth managed a small smile. “I was the same way in my own trial. I nearly cost myself my trial.” 

It was weird to reminisce about Edgeworth’s trial here of all places. He’d accused himself of the murder of his own father, and of course Phoenix had to prove his own defendant wrong. God, he hoped that Makoto wouldn’t suddenly admit to Yasuhiro’s murder. That psyche-lock suddenly came back into Phoenix’s mind in full force. 

“Well, hopefully he won’t accuse himself,” Kyoko said, giving Edgeworth a knowing look. “He’d probably really help, but the Judge won’t go for it.” 

Edgeworth crossed his arms. “It appears that you’ve done your research, Detective. I am not surprised. As for the Judge, he’s fair, but he’s set in his ways. I apologize for that. I had to admit… Makoto’s point was… rather reasonable.” 

“I hated seeing him after he got shot down,” Kyoko frowned. “Dejected… he looked hopeless in that moment. I bet he thought he’d screwed up, and he got you a penalty,” Kyoko turned to Phoenix. “I hope you realize that Makoto was only trying to help.” 

Phoenix nodded. “Of course I do! In fact, I would do the exact same thing!” 

“You would, Wright.” Edgeworth said. 

“You just admitted you already did!” Phoenix protested. 

Edgeworth allowed himself a small chuckle, and Phoenix’s heart skipped a beat. It wasn’t often Edgeworth let himself laugh. 

“You were a defendant too, right, Mr. Wright? I remember reading about a case involving you before,” Kyoko asked Phoenix. 

“Wait, hold up!” Leon interjected. “You’re telling me that both of you guys have been accused of murder?!” 

“I have too, actually. Twice.” Maya added, raising her hand with a smile. 

“Oh my god,” Leon said. He turned to Pearl. “Let me guess, you too?” 

Pearl shook her head. “Not yet!” 

“Don’t say that, Pearly!” Maya said. “It’s really not fun!” 

Phoenix turned to Edgeworth. “They’re looking us up, you know. All the students are tearing up their library’s archives reading about our previous cases.” 

“Is that so?” Edgeworth seemed bemused, not as alarmed as Phoenix thought he’d be. “I failed to get most of them interested in the law years ago, but all it takes is one trial for them to get a taste for legality. Mayhaps that’s what Gant should’ve arranged.” 

“That tour was seriously boring, man.” Leon shrugged. “Sorry. I forgot about everything except for the Steel Samurai stuff.” 

“Leon! That’s rude!” Sayaka frowned. 

“Name one thing not Steel Samurai related you remember from that tour.” 

“Um, well,” Sayaka tried to remember, but it was clear the idol had forgotten the experience largely as well. 

“I remember plenty from that tour, Prosecutor.” Kyoko offered. “I found it fascinating. I remember talking with Makoto about it for a while afterwards.” 

Edgeworth crossed his arms. “I suppose it was more geared to you regardless. Still, I appreciate your attempts to spare my feelings, Detective. Luckily, I happened to forget about most of you anyway--well, you and Mr. Naegi made an impression on me.” 

“Both of us?” Kyoko questioned. 

“Yes, I thought you guys would make quite a pair.” Edgeworth said, a hint of remorse in his voice. “It surprised me that you’d testify for the prosecution, but I suppose you are a detective first.” 

“I testified because I believe in Makoto, and I believe the facts will reflect that.” Kyoko said. 

“That’s admirable, Detective Kirigiri.” Edgeworth admitted. “I suppose you need a bit of faith in others to succeed.” Edgeworth looked at Phoenix. “I learned that lesson myself from someone important.” 

Phoenix blushed again, hoping no one would notice Edgeworth’s brief glance at him. Leon and Pearl seemed completely unaware, but both Maya and Sayaka were stifling grins, and Kyoko merely looked at each of them once, not commenting. Phoenix quickly changed the subject. 

“There were some files missing, you know. The ones with Dahlia, Engarde, Von Karma, and Gant. I think that Byakuya has them.” Phoenix blurted out, Edgeworth’s face growing more concerned with each past offender Phoenix listed. 

“Why would Mr. Togami want those files?” Edgeworth’s brows furrowed. “Those files…” 

“I don’t understand it either,” Kyoko said. “He’s probably read those cases a dozen times already. I don’t know why he’d take them.” Kyoko gathered the tarot cards she’d been shuffling. “How many cards in a tarot deck?” she asked. 

Phoenix raised an eyebrow. Why would she ask that? “I don’t-”

“Seventy-eight.” Leon said, before Phoenix could even finish his sentence. 

“How did you know that?” Sayaka said, looking at Leon with a bemused smile. 

“Hey, I said I hung out with Hiro a lot.” Leon shrugged. “You soak this stuff in after a few lectures about the major arcana or whatever.” 

Kyoko’s eyes narrowed. “I counted the cards left in this deck, and there are seventy-six. Of course, one of the missing cards is the justice card. However, that means there is still another card unaccounted for.” She spread out the cards and began to flip them over. “Leon, how well do you know the deck?” 

“Not enough to pick out a missing card,” Leon said apologetically. “I can do you one better, though.” 

Leon moved towards Yasuhiro’s desk and began to rifle around inside, before pulling out a small book. The book title read  _ Tarot Cards and Their Meanings: A Beginner’s Guide _ . Leon flipped open the book, as the group huddled around him. “Hiro wanted me to read this, and said something about the fate of the world depending on it. I thought he was just being crazy, so I lied and said I read it.” 

“In hindsight, not your best idea,” Maya teased. 

“Yeah, no sh- ow!” Leon winced as Maya elbowed his ribs and nodded towards Pearl. “Right, sorry,” he muttered. 

“Let’s speed this up,” Edgeworth said with a sigh. “There are five of us here, excluding Pearl, whose reading skills aren’t yet up to par, and Mr. Kuwata, who is holding the book. We’ll split the deck between the five of us, and read aloud what cards are there. Mr. Kuwata will mark them down in the book, and we will find the missing card through the process of elimination.” 

Everyone nodded, and Kyoko took the deck and split it, so that everyone got 15 cards, giving herself the extra card to make her stack 16 cards. Kyoko handed the pen to Leon, who flipped open the book and nodded for everyone to start reading. Everyone took turns listing their card suits, with Leon furiously crossing out each suit that came up. As Kyoko read her last card, the tower, Leon crossed it off. 

“Well, that leaves, uh, three of swords,” Leon said, looking closer at the book. 

“I remember that card from the time Hiro did a reading for me,” Maya’s face fell. “It stands for heartbreak and loss.” 

“Then it can’t be a coincidence that this card is missing,” Kyoko said, placing a gloved hand under her chin. “The killer probably chose to take this card, knowing its meaning.” 

“But who would even know the meaning?” Sayaka asked. “I mean, Leon didn’t know, and he hung around Hiro the most!” 

“Maybe they looked it up,” Phoenix said. “I mean, this school does have internet.” 

“If they looked up the meaning, that would mean that Mr. Hagakure’s murder was planned out,” Edgeworth said. “They’d put the research in to know which card to steal when they murder him. The only question would be, why?”

“That’s not necessarily true,” Kyoko countered. “We don’t know who has the card, or even when it went missing. Yasuhiro could’ve lost the card before the murder even happened. This could be a dead end.” 

“It seems a bit too convenient to be a dead end,” Phoenix mused. “I better take note of this.” 

“Hey, where’s Detective Gumshoe?” Pearl piped up. “Why’s he not here too?”

“He’s at Criminal Affairs,” Edgeworth answered. “He’s processing the testimonies and evidence from today’s trial. I figured since Detective Kirigiri would already be here regardless, there was no point in bringing him down here too. If we find new evidence, we’ll be running it to him for processing right away.” 

I hope Gumshoe isn’t being replaced, Phoenix thought. If anyone needs a job, it’s him. 

“Prosecutor Edgeworth and I are going to stay here,” Kyoko said. “If something like this card was taken, odds are the killer didn’t stop there. I’m going to try and find a photo of what Yasuhiro’s room looked like before the incident.” 

“I can help you with that,” Leon offered again. He took out his phone. “I’ve got some pictures here from a few months ago. I took pictures for Hiro, of him giving readings in the room and stuff. Supposedly it was a business venture, but knowing Hiro… he was too cheap to hire an actual photographer.” 

“Leon, would you be willing to stay behind with us?” Kyoko asked. 

“Sure,” Leon nodded, though he did look out of place next to the formal Edgeworth and all-business Kyoko. “I’ll catch up with you guys later,” he said to the rest of the group. 

This is probably all we’ll find here for now, Phoenix reasoned. Leon would hopefully fill them in if Kyoko or Edgeworth found anything amiss in the photos. It was time to focus on the student alibis, he reasoned. It was about time he got Hifumi and Toko to talk. 

******************************************************************************

May 1st

Dormitory Hallway

Now one person short, Phoenix walked down the hallway with Maya, Pearl, and Sayaka. Before they could get far, they noticed Celeste’s door open, and her and Hifumi were standing in front of it. Hifumi was saying something to Celeste, and he’d dropped his backpack on the floor, papers, presumably from his own file spilling out. Pearl got a glint in her eye, and before Phoenix could stop her, she raced down to the floor and snatched the backpack with its papers, scooping up the papers and placing them inside. 

“Unhand my backpack at once, tiny Fey!” Hifumi screeched, snatching his backpack from Pearl. 

Pearl gave him her best puppy dog eyes. “Sorry,” she said. “I was just trying to help you,” 

“Oh, well then, I thank you for your valiant efforts, Miss Fey junior!” Hifumi said, placing both hands on his hips. 

“Ahem!” Celeste cleared her throat. “I believe I asked you for more tea and a new file, not to drop your backpack and dawdle with unimportant conversation!” 

“Y-yes of course, Mistress! I will not disappoint!” Hifumi said. 

“Wait,” Phoenix said. “Celeste, there are still some questions I need to ask you.”

“I have said all I am going to say to you,” Celeste said with a dismissive tone. 

“What if I win against you in a game of poker?” Phoenix asked. “If I win, will you give me more information?” 

“Why bother?” Celeste said with a roll of her eyes. “I have played lawyers, spiritualists, and pop stars. I have beaten them all. There is nothing that you can do or say that will intrigue me.” 

Maya snapped her fingers, as if a lightbulb went off in her head. “I bet you’ve never played a dead person before,” she said with a smile. “Not only that, but I’ll bet you all the money in Nick’s wallet that you’ll lose to the person I’ll summon. She’s taken on way smarter people than you, and beaten them down.” 

“Is that so?” Celese said, raising a single eyebrow. “I’d like to meet this person, well, assuming you really can summon the dead.” 

Maya sat down and closed her eyes. Hifumi opened his mouth, but Sayaka motioned for him to be quiet. Celeste began to scoff, but as Maya began to transform, she couldn’t maintain her composed demeanor, openly gaping at Maya’s growing body. 

Mia opened her eyes, looking around curiously. Pearl waved, and Phoenix smiled apologetically, knowing what Mia was about to be subjected to. 

“WH-WH-WHAAAT?!” Hifumi finally shrieked. “SHE’S A WITCH!” 

“That is… rather… extraordinary…” Celeste managed at last, trying to regain her composure. 

“Who are you?” Sayaka said, still looking shocked, despite having seen this before. 

Phoenix supposed there was no real way to get used to seeing a dead person channeled. He honestly still had his moments of shock. 

“I’m Mia, I was a defense attorney.” Mia smiled politely at the students. “My sister Maya has told me about this case during her meditations where she’s reached out to me. It is nice to actually meet you all.” 

“Celestia Lundenberg, charmed.” Celeste extended her hand to Mia, who politely shook it. 

I guess this was part of Maya’s plan, Phoenix realized. Mia was definitely the type of person that someone like Celeste would take seriously, especially after making an entrance like being summoned from the afterlife. Mia wouldn’t be phased by Celeste, and maybe that would impress Celeste enough to agree to play with her. Phoenix had to hand it to Maya. Still, he had to clue Mia in, subtly. 

“Hey, Mia,” Phoenix said. “Maya told Celeste that if you beat her in cards, she’d tell us more information about a murder case we’re investigating here, you can do that, right?” 

Mia smiled. “I was a pro in court, and that extended to recreational activities as well. I’m sure I could make quick work of Celeste.” Phoenix bit back a smile, Mia was already on the same page as him, and lying through her teeth. She’d never even mentioned gambling in front of him, though Celeste seemed almost too in-awe of her to notice. 

Celeste’s lips curled into a cat-like grin. “I doubt that. You must not know of my ultimate talent.” 

“I think I know enough about you just by seeing the way you hold yourself,” Mia crossed her arms over Maya’s admittedly too-small robes. She had Celeste’s attention now, and she knew it. “Isn’t that what people like us do? We size people up so we can beat them.” 

“Yes, I suppose you are right. I must say, I am excited to add a channeled woman to my resume of people I’ve beaten,” Celeste said. “Please, Miss Mia, you’re welcome to challenge me for your information. However, only you are permitted inside.” Celeste stared coldly at Pearl, Sayaka, Phoenix, and Hifumi. “The rest of you must disperse. Oh, and underling-” 

Hifumi stood at attention, still staring at Mia. Phoenix couldn’t help but feel slightly creeped out about that. 

“-fetch me some more tea, it would be nice to have refreshments. Oh, and bring a cup for Miss Mia as well,” Celeste said with a wave of her hand. 

“Actually, I prefer coffee if you have it,” Mia said. “Coffee brings me fond memories. Maybe I can tell you about it, Celestia.”

“I’d be delighted,” Celeste turned towards Hifumi. “Now, make yourself useful, and go get my tea, and Miss Mia’s coffee. Go, now!” Celeste said, slamming the door once Mia stepped inside. 

Hifumi took off down the hallway as fast as his legs could take him. Phoenix heard a small giggle, and looked down to where Pearl was standing, she had her hand over her mouth. 

“What’s so funny, Pearl?” Sayaka asked. 

“Hifumi’s backpack spilled, so I grabbed his pink box! I think it’s called a ca-me-ra! Miss Hart had one, but it was bigger,” Pearl triumphantly held up a pink camera with a cutesy character on the sides. Princess Piggles, apparently. Phoenix thought that was a terrible name for a princess. 

“Woah, I didn’t even notice!” Phoenix exclaimed. “No one did!” 

“I guess it’s an advantage of being small,” Sayaka shrugged. 

Pearl handed the camera to Phoenix. The photos were digitally dated and timestamped, so Phoenix went back to photos with the date of the murder on them. April 29th, let’s see, he flipped through the photos. There were many photos of him, Celeste, and Junko playing cards. Celeste was all-business, focusing on the cards, Junko was grinning and flashing a peace sign to the camera, Hifumi’s face awkwardly took up half the frame in his attempt to take the picture. There were pictures of Hifumi watching  _ Warriors of Hope vs Despair,  _ with Junko and Celeste looking at their cards, but then, Celeste wasn’t in one photo. Then another, then another. Just Junko chilling with her hands in her pockets, smiling at Hifumi, who was looking at his cards. Another photo of Hifumi pointing at the TV screen, both of them forgetting about their card game. From 9:30 onwards, Celeste wasn’t in a single photo. Phoenix grinned. 

“Pearls, you may have just gotten the most important piece of evidence for the day,” Phoenix said, ruffling the girl’s hair. “This’ll help us get Hifumi’s real story.” 

“Good job Pearl!” Sayaka cheered, and the little medium grinned with pride. Sayaka raised an eyebrow. “Wait,” she said, “What about Celeste? You do realize Mia can’t win, even if she is as good as she said. Celeste is an ultimate.” 

“Mia doesn’t need to win, she just needs to keep Celeste busy while we talk to Hifumi.” Phoenix said with a grin. “We just need to follow Hifumi and confront him!” 

“Alright,” Sayaka said. Pearl tugged on her sleeve, and she sighed before lifting her up for another piggy back. “You earned this, Pearl. Oh, and Mr. Wright, you do realize that Maya bet all your money you have on you to Celeste, right? You’re going to have to pay her when Mia loses.” 

Phoenix put his head in his hands and sighed, now trudging after Pearl and Sayaka, who led the way. There went his plans to swing by the donut place on the way home. He’d been craving donuts lately. 

******************************************************************************

May 1st

Cafeteria

Hifumi was busily preparing the coffee pot, placing it under the filter. He’d already started boiling the tea, probably having already done this a thousand times. Hifumi was humming the theme song to  _ Warriors of Hope vs. Despair,  _ Phoenix realized. He’d been subjected to that show long enough to know the theme song. 

“Hifumi,” Phoenix said. “I’d like to have a word with you.” 

Hifumi leapt up in shock and whirled around to face the group. “You followed me!” he screeched. “What do you want from me?!” He held up his hands together, pleadingly. “I swear, I have nothing to say!” 

The two psyche-locks floating in front of him begged to differ. 

“So, you’re sticking to your story, right?” Phoenix questioned. “Why?” 

“B-because it’s the truth?” 

“No, I think you’re protecting someone.” 

Hifumi tensed up. “W-who would I even be protecting?” 

“Celeste,” Phoenix said. “You’re protecting her because you’ve learned to have a healthy dose of fear for her. You’re afraid of what she’ll say to you if you disagree with her.” 

The first psyche-lock snapped and shattered. The coffee continued to brew, the tea kettle drew closer to a boil. 

“Wh-why would I protect Miss Lundenberg?” Hifumi offered desperately. “There is no proof that she did anything wrong! She did not leave the media room!” 

“Sorry,” Phoenix shook his head, and took out the Princess Piggles Camera. “I’ve got proof. Celeste is in these pictures, up until 9:30 PM, but after that, she is gone for the remainder of the pictures. You and Junko are both there still. This is proof that Celeste left the room. Hifumi, you and Makoto are friends, right? If you know something, you should speak up.” 

The remaining psyche-lock shattered, and the chains surrounding Hifumi cleared away, leaving him staring hesitantly at the now boiling tea kettle. Hifumi took the kettle off the stove, and sighed. 

“Y-you stole my camera,” he said weakly. 

“Actually, I did,” Pearl said, looking a bit too satisfied. “It was in your backpack.” 

“Hifumi, we needed this evidence.” Phoenix said. “Please, tell us the truth. Makoto is being accused of a crime he didn’t commit, and he needs your help. We need this camera to confront Celeste. We’ll need you to confirm she left the room, and let us have this camera as evidence.” 

“I’m almost a b-rank,” the doujin said, pouring the tea into a porcelain cup. “If I go against Celeste now… she’ll totally kill me! I’ll get demoted back to d-rank where I started!” 

“D-rank?” Pearl questioned. 

“Miss Lundenberg has a system, you know. She ranks people based on their worth. Most humans fall into the d-tier, she says. C-rank is reserved for those smart enough to fall in line with her, like myself, or people she considers smarter than average. No one has made B-rank yet. She’s promised me I have a chance,” Hifumi said, adding the milk to the tea. 

“That sounds dumb,” Pearl said bluntly. 

“T-that’s what a d-rank would say!” Hifumi flared up. 

“Hifumi, please,” Sayaka interjected. “Please, do the right thing. Tell us the truth. For Makoto. Celeste would sell you out in a heartbeat too, look at how she’s treated you today! She’d do anything to save herself, and you know it!” 

“Miss Maizono…” Hifumi’s shoulders slumped. “Miss Lundenberg can be… abrasive… but she is one of the few students who ever went out of their way to include and speak to me.” He paused. “Mr. Naegi was the other one. He’d help make tea for Miss Lundenberg, he’d listen to my ideas for my writing… he never mocked me for my interests…” Hifumi took off his glasses, blinking desperately before putting them back on. He sighed. “I’ll help you, even if my rank will suffer.” 

“So, we can keep your camera?” Phoenix asked.

Hifumi nodded hesitantly. “Yes, but I expect it right back afterwards! It’s limited edition!” 

“Of course,” Phoenix said. “So, you can confirm Celeste did leave the room during the times she’s absent in the photos?” 

“Yes,” Hifumi said. “She said she was going to get some more tea, which I found odd considering she’d normally make me do it. She never came back until after Hagakure’s body was discovered. I just assumed she was telling the truth because of this,” Hifumi showed them the milk carton. “Whenever a new carton of milk is opened, the date opened is written on this sticker by the person who opened it. I last opened one a few weeks ago. Normally, it’s me, but this is Celeste’s writing, so I know she was at least here.” 

Sayaka gave Phoenix a concerned look. “You think this was Celeste’s way of giving herself an alibi?” 

“Maybe,” Phoenix said, furrowing his eyebrows. 

“O-oh!” Hifumi said. “There was something weird I, uh, noticed too.” He walked over to the trash can, which was overflowing. Murder myster had apparently taken priority over school cleanliness. “If she’d swapped the milk cartons, wouldn’t she have thrown hers out? When I came here yesterday to make Celeste tea, there was no carton in the trash.” 

Phoenix crossed his arms. “Does Celeste have a motive? If she didn’t hate Makoto, what about Yasuhiro?” 

“Miss Lundenberg considered Mr. Hagakure to be a d-tier human, much like many others at this school. He struck her as rather stupid, and well, she never liked his name. Just hearing it tended to put her in a foul mood,” Hifumi unzipped his backpack and took out a student handbook. “Miss Lundenberg makes me carry around her handbook, to open doors for her and such-” 

Phoenix barely suppressed another eye roll. Hifumi’s life seemed to revolve completely around making sure Celeste’s every need was met. It was both sad and pathetic. 

“-Her real name?” Sayaka blurted out. “I mean, why would she kill over something as small as that? Everyone here knows and calls her Celeste anyway… it’s the best way to not get your eyes scratched out.” 

“Her real name?” Phoenix looked at the handbook that Hifumi flipped open, and his eyes widened. Celeste’s vitals and picture lined up with what he’d seen already from her, but her name was different. Taeko Yasuhiro. Considerably less glamorous of a name than Celestia Lundenberg. I guess she wouldn’t want a plain name, considering her massive ego, Phoenix thought. Maybe Hiro was a reminder to her, a reminder that she’d never truly be Celeste… but if she killed him…

“What does that say?” Pearl asked, squinting at the handbook. 

“It’s Miss Lundenberg’s real name,” Hifumi said. “She’s really Miss Yasuhiro, though you will never call her that if you want to live,” Hifumi warned. “I-I do not think that Miss Lundenberg would kill for such a petty reason but still, I am not certain of anything anymore.” 

Phoenix snapped a picture of Celeste’s (technically Taeko’s) handbook and Hifumi placed the handbook back in his backpack. He stirred the tea and poured Mia’s coffee, but his hands were now trembling with dread. 

“Y-you cannot tell Mistress Lundenberg I cracked!” Hifumi cried. “She’ll never forgive me, her underling turned traitor,” he wailed, still managing to gather the tea and coffee onto a tray. 

“Don’t worry, we won’t sell you out,” Phoenix said. Well, that was kind of a lie. Odds are, Celeste would figure out Hifumi sold her out once Phoenix decided to confront her. Knowing Hifumi, he might crack and admit it himself. Still, he could at least lie for now, to try to provide some solace for Hifumi instead of freaking him out even more. 

“I must be going now, Mistress Lundenberg will no doubt be getting impatient!” Hifumi said, before he left with the tray of coffee and tea. Hopefully, Mia won’t mind that her coffee doesn’t have any sugar, Phoenix mused. Hifumi was too nervous to really notice what he’d done to which cup, though Mia was probably polite enough that she’d drink the coffee regardless. 

“He’s kinda weird,” Pearl frowned. “But at least he helped us!” 

“Yeah, that’s Hifumi for you,” Sayaka sighed. “I didn’t think he’d help as much as he did. I guess that’s just Makoto’s charm for you.” 

Even when he’s not here, he’s still driving people to help, Phoenix thought. It just confused him more that someone would try to frame Makoto then, who seemed to be unanimously liked. Maybe he’d been looking at this wrong. Maybe Yasuhiro was the person he needed to focus on, in terms of being targeted. He remembered what Edgeworth said about the card. Maybe he was onto something.

“I have an idea, Mr. Wright,” Sayaka said. “We should check trash cans on the first floor for that other milk carton. If it isn’t in any of the cans, then we’ll know Celeste lied about making tea,” 

“Great idea! Let’s do it!” Pearl cheered, before Phoenix could even get a word out. Rooting through trash cans did not sound fun, but if it helped to solve the case, he supposed it couldn’t hurt. 

“Let’s start with the gymnasium, then.” Sayaka said, offering her hand to Pearl, who took it. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll make Mr. Nick actually look through the trash cans,” Pearl giggled. 

Phoenix sighed. No donuts, and now he’d be rooting through garbage. This day was definitely not getting any better. 

******************************************************************************

May 1st

Gymnasium

“Alright, Mr. Nick! Time to start digging through the trash,” Pearl said. 

Of course, Pearl made no move to actually go near the trash can, instead standing by Sayaka, who also didn’t seem eager to go digging through trash. Well, I guess I have to do this, Phoenix sighed. He rolled up his sleeves, mournfully realizing that he’d have to get garbage on his suit. He really liked this suit too, it was his favorite one. Of course, he had a dozen more of the exact same suit, but it was the principle of having to sully this one that upset him. 

Phoenix sighed and began to rummage through the trash can. Banana peel, gross. Half eaten sandwich, donut box. Old drawings of an anime character, probably Hifumi’s, Phoenix reasoned. Ah! He pulled out a milk carton, dated about three weeks ago, around the time Hifumi said he’d opened the carton. So, Celeste had left the room to throw the carton away. Why? There was a glint beneath the carton, and Phoenix pushed aside a candy wrapper to find a pair of scissors that had been strategically hidden by the milk carton. Tentatively, he pulled out the scissors. 

“I found the carton,” he said. “And… uh… these.” He held up the scissors. 

Sayaka’s face went pale. “No… it couldn’t be,” she murmured. “I thought that she-” 

“So, those are Celeste’s?” Pearl asked. “Did she put the carton on top to hide those? What about the knife?” 

“There’s a real chance that-wait-didn’t Toko say something about the gym earlier? About her and Byakuya?” Phoenix’s mind started to race, and he knew he had to confront Toko right away. And Byakuya too-

“-Mr. Wright!” Hina came bounding into the gymnasium. “I found them, you guys!” she shouted into the hallway. Hina turned back to the group. “We got Byakuya, Mr. Wright. We caught him heading back into the school. He won’t tell us where he’d gone. Oh, and you have a candy bar wrapper stuck to your jacket.” 

Just as Phoenix moved to unstick the candy bar wrapper, Byakuya came into the room, flanked by Sakura and Mondo. Byakuya took one look at Phoenix in his ruined suit and rolled his eyes. He still had the files in his hands. Wait, why were there only-

“-Your goon squad dragged me here,” Byakuya said, looking at Phoenix like he was an ant waiting to be crushed. Suddenly, his eyes flitted to the scissors in Phoenix’s hand, and his eyebrows shot up, before he resumed his haughty expression. “What do you want with me?” 

Sakura sighed, trying to be civil. “Togami, we told you, your alibi and the files you took-” 

“I told you, you behemoth, I didn’t take all the files. These ones are the only ones I took.” Byakuya extended the files out, two files, both reading  **Wright-Fey.**

“That still doesn’t explain where the hell ya went!” Mondo said, glaring at Byakuya and cracking his knuckles. “Why would ya leave with no reason?” 

Byakuya sighed, rolling his eyes. “For the record, I am not beholden to any of you idiots. Where I choose to go shouldn’t be dictated by any of you-” 

“-Hey jerk,” Hina interrupted, glaring at Byakuya. “In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a murder case going on, and everyone needs to check in with each other and stay close! What if the killer strikes again?” 

“You do realize the killer can’t very well strike if he’s in jail, right?” Byakuya smirked. “That is, unless, you believe in Makoto all of a sudden. After all, why do you think I left? I wanted to take these files to him, to prove to him that Mr. Wright is more of a spiritualist than an actual lawyer-” 

“What’s your problem?” Phoenix blurted out. “Why are you so against me taking this case? You tried to buy me off on the first day-” 

“-He did what?!” Sayaka interrupted, glaring at Byakuya. “How could you try to sabotage Makoto like that, considering what he’s put up with from you!” 

Byakuya glared at Sayaka. “You may be too naive to understand this, Maizono, but there is a world out there waiting for us. The Togami corporation is counting on me to graduate without delay, and this case is one big delay. In case you haven’t noticed, our schooling has grinded to a halt. I won’t be held back from ascending to the top of the Togami Corporation-” 

“-How could you consider something like the innocence of your friend a setback!” Phoenix couldn’t contain himself anymore. It felt slightly embarrassing to get worked up over the words of a school kid, but Byakuya’s callousness angered him. “You were even one of the few who seemed to actually believe in Makoto from the start too!” 

“Wait, what?” Hina raised an eyebrow. “Byakuya said that?” 

“No, but I implied it.” Byakuya crossed his arms. “In fact, I tried going to Makoto again today to talk to him about dropping you, and these files were my proof. I wanted to show him how you rely on spirits and lucky breaks to win your cases. I was going to offer him real representation once our school year is over and I have graduated on time. He turned me down the first time, something about how he had faith in you, and Kyoko’s choice and all that garbage. I wanted to take more files, but… these two were the only ones left of the ones I had envisioned taking. However, Makoto was unavailable. The guard said he’d be in for questioning for the remainder of visiting hours,” Byakuya glared at Phoenix. “It’s unfortunate, but he’s stuck with you for another pointless day. You merely dragged out the trial for another day. That’s all.” 

“No, that’s wrong!” Pearl glared at Byakuya, and Phoenix noted her stance was similar to Makoto’s when he’d blurted out those same words yesterday. “Mr. Nick is a great law-yer! He won those cases! Luck isn’t bad, it’s what brought us together to defend Makoto! We’re getting more evidence too!” 

“Yes, I do see that,” Byakuya said, pointing to the scissors. “I suppose you think that those scissors are important? Or that milk carton in your hand?” 

“These scissors, I think they have to with Toko,” Phoenix said, not even realizing he’d voiced it out loud. It was like all the atmosphere had been sucked out of the room, and the silence seemed to confirm Phoenix’s theory. Why did they seem so worried about it? 

“You’d be correct,” Byakuya said at last. 

“Shit,” Mondo said, Pearl’s ears luckily being covered by Sakura, who was surprisingly gentle with the little medium. “Does that mean that she-” 

“Mr. Wright, you’re going to have to talk to her,” Byakuya sighed. “She’ll talk to you if I’m there. I’ll do this one thing for you-only because I wasn’t able to get to Makoto today. However, it will just have to be you and me… Toko doesn’t like the extra attention.” 

“Fine,” Phoenix said through gritted teeth, placing the milk carton and scissors in his evidence collection. “Pearl, please stay with Sayaka.” Phoenix turned towards Sayaka. “Please, watch her carefully. Keep her safe.” Luckily, Phoenix trusted Sayaka the most of the students there, and Byakuya, the least trustworthy one, was coming with him.

Sayaka nodded politely. “Of course, Mr. Wright.” Sayaka turned towards Pearl. “Pearl, you want to hear the story of how I met Makoto? It’s something you’d probably like.” Sayaka giggled as Pearl nodded eagerly, and the two walked off to sit in the gym bleachers to talk. 

“Hey, where’s Maya? She okay?” Mondo questioned. 

“She’s uh, busy channeling her sister to play cards with Celeste,” Phoenix said. Maybe if the rest of them went to see Mia, they’d stall Celeste for even longer, which would be ideal. Plus, it would annoy Celeste to no end, and maybe give Mia some reprieve, so that could work too if maybe-

“-Maya’s channeling another spirit, and we’re missing it?!” Hina squawked. “Sakura and I missed it once, and we’re not gonna again!” Hina ran off, grabbing her girlfriend’s hand on the way, Sakura striding after her without protest. She probably wanted to see too, despite her calmer demeanor. 

“Man, I gotta see this. This sister was the reason she helped me with Daiya,” Mondo muttered as he left, running after Hina and Sakura. 

“Huh, that was a good distraction,” Byakuya conceded. “I must admit I’m curious too, but we have to go find Toko. I think I know where she might be. And… be prepared to meet someone new.” Byakuya smiled. “I think...Jill will like you. Toko’s not the only one in her head.”

“Wait, who’s Jill? Toko has an alter ego?” Phoenix asked, but Byakuya was already leaving. Phoenix scrambled after him, trying to put his thoughts together. 

******************************************************************************

May 1st

Dormitory Hallway

Byakuya stopped in front of a door that had Toko’s pixelated likeness. Phoenix recognized it as her room. He remembered the last time he’d been here was yesterday, when Toko had shut herself in and refused to come out. Why would she open the door this time?

Byakuya knocked on the door. 

“G-go away!” 

“It’s Byakuya. Let me inside.” 

“O-oh! M-master!” Toko’s voice went from paranoid to happy. “O-of c-course.” With a click, Toko unlocked the door. “I-I’ll just be a-a s-second,” she sighed. “L-let yourself i-in.” 

I guess that’s how you get her to open the door, Phoenix noted with awe as Byakuya opened the door and gestured for Phoenix to step in. He wasn’t sure he’d ever understand what she saw in Byakuya, though.

******************************************************************************

May 1st

Toko’s Room

Toko’s back was turned to Byakuya and Phoenix, she fiddled with her braids, clearly trying to make herself look nicer. She still looked frazzled, Phoenix thought. No amount of messing with her hair would change that. 

“H-hi M-master-A-ah!” Toko turned around, her eyes widening as she saw Phoenix. “W-what a-are y-you doing here? Y-you c-creep!” 

“I’m not a creep!” Phoenix protested. “Byakuya brought me here!” 

“M-master w-would never-” 

“I brought him,” Byakuya sighed. “I said you’d talk to him. Besides, he can tell when you lie, you know.” 

Toko suddenly looked ill, and she tugged her braids so hard, it looked like she was going to pull them from her head. “Y-you t-told him… a-and he c-can see m-my lies… that’s i-impossible,”

“You know I’ve read up on him,” Byakuya said smugly. “He has this thing, called a magatama, it’s blessed with spiritual energy. I, quite frankly, think it’s a hoax he uses to make people cough up information, but nevertheless, it seems to work.” 

Phoenix sighed. “Toko, I’m not here to prosecute you. I just want to prove Makoto’s innocence. I know that it’s not me you’re really afraid of.” 

Toko’s psyche-locks flew in front of her. Byakuya could believe what he wanted, but the magatama was as real as they came, and Toko’s lies were visible to Phoenix. Toko sweat nervously, she was hunched over. 

“P-prove it,” she challenged weakly. 

“I have some pages from a manuscript you dropped,” Phoenix took out the pages of  _ Demon Prosecutor _ . “The antagonist is a prosecutor that sends defendants to hell, and witnesses as well. The protagonist is a knight that… admittedly has wild hair like me. The demon is a stand in for Edgeworth. You’re afraid he’ll condemn you for something, Toko. Maybe something to do with the murder?” 

“I-I-I,” Toko stammered as her first psyche-lock snapped. It was almost sad, Phoenix thought. Toko looked genuinely scared. However, the slight blush on her face diluted the effect a little. 

“W-what w-would that h-handsome p-prosecutor condemn m-me for?” She said shakily. Well, she clearly wasn’t lying about the fact that she found Edgeworth handsome, based on her reddening cheeks. She must have a thing for aloof guys, Phoenix thought, staring at an impatient looking Byakuya. 

“I found these in the gymnasium trash can,” Phoenix held up the scissors, and Toko grew pale with fright. “I think they’re yours. Well, they’re not exactly yours, per se.” 

“T-those a-aren’t mine!” 

The psyche-lock was still there. 

“They’re Jill’s,” Phoenix said. “She’s a part of you, from what I understand. Byakuya told me about her, and they’re her scissors, which means they belong to you as well.” 

The psyche-lock shattered, and the chains cleared away, leaving Toko staring at Byakuya with a look of betrayal in her eyes. Phoenix felt a pang of guilt at seeing her state, she looked a few steps from fainting. 

“Y-you t-told him?” Toko whimpered.

“I told him that you have a split-personality. Her name is Jill. Mr. Wright here put the rest together on his own. Now, tell him what you know about the night of the murder. You were around the gymnasium. I would know, that’s where I ditched you.” 

“I-I w-was around the g-gym…” Toko said. “I-I was looking f-for you, b-but I s-saw s-something i-in the h-hallway, and t-then I-I fainted… then s-she t-took o-over,” 

“You mean Jill?” Phoenix questioned. 

Toko nodded, still unable to meet his gaze. “I-I really d-don’t know what s-she s-saw. We d-don’t share m-memories, so…” 

Byakuya crossed his arms. “You faint at the sight of blood, which can bring out G-er-Jill. That would mean you saw something bloody on the stairs, try to remember.” 

“You didn’t want to say anything earlier because you were afraid,” Phoenix said softly. “You didn’t want to have to testify.” 

“I-I’m s-sorry, I-I c-can’t testify… I-I’d be r-ruined…” Toko crossed her arms, making herself small. “I-I remember a-a flash o-of silver a-and black a-and w-white… then I-I fainted…” 

Byakuya adjusted his glasses. “I remember you-well, actually Jill-tracked me down in the library, where you were with me the rest of the night. You had no blood on you, so I doubt she did it… unless you regained control long enough to cover up your involvement-” 

“-N-no! M-my scissors w-went missing that d-day, and I-I d-didn’t realize it until t-that n-night a-after H-hagakure w-was discovered, a-and I was a-afraid…s-she’d done it,” Toko said. 

“Wait, is Jill violent or something?” Phoenix raised an eyebrow, looking at Toko. 

She still wouldn’t look at him. “I-I’ve b-been b-better at c-controlling h-her, b-but-” 

“Hagakure isn’t exactly Jill’s type,” Byakuya said. “Jill likes to hurt more… svelte boys. She’d like Prosecutor Edgeworth.” 

“Hey! Don’t hurt him!” Phoenix said. 

“I-I w-wouldn’t!” Toko insisted. “I-I’ll n-never l-let her o-out again!” 

“You’re going to have to show us now. Jill has the rest of your alibi. Unless you want to testify. Just show us now.” Byakuya glared at Toko. 

Phoenix started to say something on Toko’s behalf, but he was cut off by a rather loud sneeze. Suddenly, Toko’s sullen blue eyes were replaced by lively red ones, and her tongue flew out of her mouth, which was curled into a giant grin. 

“Kyehahaha!” Toko-no wait, Jill, laughed. Phoenix nearly choked, her demeanor had completely flipped, as if she were channeling a spirit. “Hey, Master! Oh, you brought a friend! Oh, he smells terrible! Did he roll around in garbage or something?” 

Jill moved closer to Phoenix, inspecting him. Phoenix could feel himself beginning to sweat, his nerves starting to get the better of him. Toko didn’t scare him in the slightest, but Jill was already starting to terrify him. 

“W-where were y-you on the night of the murder?” Phoenix squeaked.

“Aw, don’t be shy, porcupine!” Jill grinned, her tongue hanging out. “You sound like my other self, and she’s pretty pathetic. Huh… I remember being in the hallway, and I decided to go find my master!” Jill looked at Byakuya, she was practically drooling. Byakuya looked disgusted, and Phoenix could hardly blame him. “I passed the gym, oh and I saw Macarena heading away from the gym! He said hi to me, and pointed me towards the library!” 

“Macarena?” Phoenix asked. 

“She means Makoto,” Byakuya said. 

“Ding, ding! We have a winner!” Jill crowed. “Where is the little guy anyway? I was going to ask him if he’s seen my scissors.” 

“He’s been accused of murdering Hagakure,” Byakuya said, stating this like it was no big deal. “He’s currently in prison, and this-” Byakuya gestured to Phoenix, “-is his lawyer, Phoenix Wright.” 

“Huh, you’re a lawman, huh?” Jill’s overwhelming energy seemed to fade a bit, and she seemed to eye Phoenix a bit more warily. He felt even more afraid all of a sudden. “Can’t say you look the part, what with your trashy smell and stained suit. Kyehahaha!” Jill busted out laughing, and Phoenix blushed with embarrassment. 

“You caught me at a bad time,” he sighed. 

“I’m shocked someone as sweet as Macarena would even do something like murder! It takes a real sicko to do that!” Jill began howling with laughter, and Phoenix couldn’t help but feel like she was telling a joke not meant for him. 

Byakuya, for his part, didn’t appear to find her funny in the slightest. “So, there it is, Mr. Wright. I can attest that I was in the library from 9:25 onwards, and Jill, and Toko by extension, came in at around 9:35. She has an alibi for that time. 

“Wait, Jill, what time did you see Makoto?” Phoenix asked. “Isn’t there a clock in the gymnasium?” 

“I never went to the gym, porcupine! Keep up!” Jill stood up on her tiptoes and rapped her fist on Phoenix’s head playfully. “I don’t know the exact time, sorry! Tell Macarena I say hi!”

“Can you tell him yourself?” Phoenix asked. “Would you be willing to testify for us? You or Toko?” 

“No way, Jose!” Jill glared at Phoenix, and whipped out a pair of craft scissors, a rather underwhelming substitute for the real thing. Her tongue curled up in several knots, and Phoenix wondered how that was even possible. “I’m not touchin’ that stand, ya hear me! A girl’s gotta look out for herself, porcupine! I liked Macarena, but I’ve got to remain available and free, for Master here! Find someone else!” 

Phoenix put his hands up in surrender. “Fine… just please lower the scissors.” 

“Lower those things now,” Byakuya interjected. 

Jill pouted and put the scissors down. “I would like to meet that gorgeous prosecutor once this is all over though,” she giggled. “The way that morose loser Toko writes about him… he sounds dreamy! He could condemn me to that fiery passion anytime,” She sighed, putting her face into her hands, once again near drooling. Phoenix felt very sorry for Edgeworth all of a sudden. 

“We have no more need for you,” Byakuya said. “Let us see Toko again.” 

“But she’s so boring-” 

“Now.” 

Jill sneezed again, and her liveliness left her, her tongue went back into her mouth, and she was now Toko again. Phoenix was honestly thrilled to see her. He’d take morose Toko over terrifying Jill anyday. 

“W-what did s-she s-say?” Toko looked utterly terrified. “I-I know t-that y-you think I’m a f-freak now.” 

Phoenix sighed. “She basically confirmed your alibi, and that you won’t be testifying.” Phoenix looked at Toko, feeling sorry for her. This split-personality stuff clearly wasn’t easy for her, and there was a part of Phoenix that was impressed by Toko. Her writing was amazing, even if it’s romantic content wasn’t normally something Phoenix would admit to liking. “I don’t think you’re a freak. It’s just like you’re channeling a particular… energetic spirit.” 

“Y-you don’t h-have t-to lie,” Toko said, finally meeting Phoenix’s gaze. 

“No, it’s the truth,” Phoenix said. “Honestly, I’ve seen weirder. Besides, you’ve got enough talent to really not have to care what anyone says,” Phoenix took out the pages of  _ Demon Prosecutor.  _ “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I actually really liked this. I wanted to read more and more. Even if it is about Edgeworth,” Phoenix said with a laugh. 

“Y-you’re i-in it t-too, you’re the b-blue k-knight,” Toko said, and Phoenix could’ve sworn she was starting to smile. A blush spread across her face. “E-eventually, during the d-duel, t-the d-demon and k-knight were g-going t-to r-realize they w-were m-madly in l-love-” 

“-In love?!” Phoenix could feel his face turning just as red as Toko’s. 

“Ahem!” Byakuya cleared his throat, and Phoenix nearly collapsed in relief. 

There was a part of him that wanted to know how the demon prosecutor and the knight fell in love, but he knew he’d probably get flustered by the answer, and Toko was already starting to drool a bit, and it was freaking him out. 

“We should take our leave, Mr. Wright.” Byakuya looked at Toko. “Stay here.” 

Toko nodded, and raced back to her desk, where she began to write furiously. Phoenix could already feel his face burning as he imagined what she could possibly be writing about now. As he and Byakuya left, he wondered if Edgeworth would read the book once it came out. 

******************************************************************************

May 1st

Dormitory Hallway

“Well, now you have both of our alibis,” Byakuya smirked. “You do realize for your case, you’re going to have to get her to testify, right? It will be interesting to see how she reacts to your inevitable betrayal, or how you’ll get her on the stand in the first place. She actually seemed to like you, too.” 

Phoenix wanted to retort, but he pursed his lips. Byakuya was right, as much as he hated to admit it. He had to get Toko on the stand somehow, and get her to bring out Jill. It wouldn’t be fun, Phoenix reasoned, and he could already feel the pit of guilt in his stomach. He already knew that Toko would be terrified, scared, and betrayed by him. However, it was the only way he could place Makoto that wasn’t the crime scene, and his client took priority. It didn’t mean he didn’t feel bad, though. 

“You feel bad, based on that look on your face,” Byakuya said, and he actually looked at Phoenix, not down on him like he had previously. “You’re a lawyer, it isn’t your job to spare feelings, it’s your job to prove your client’s innocence… so if you see your opportunity to get her on the stand, you do it.” 

Phoenix raised an eyebrow. “I thought you wanted this trial to end.” 

“I do, but there is also a part of me that wants to know the endgame of this killer, and you’re part of their plans now.” Byakuya took Phoenix’s files out of his coat pocket. “I already know your cases. The fact that these were the only two that I could find when I got to the library… it made me realize the killer is planning for you, they want to know your weaknesses. I know those cases,” Byakuya adjusted his glasses. “Von Karma. Gant. Engarde. Hawthorne. Those were pivotal cases in your career. I just want to know who else in the school would know that,” Byakuya gave a shrug to Phoenix. “Well, I guess it’s your problem anyway. Besides me, Kyoko is the only one who would… though she doesn’t seem likely. Not impossible, just unlikely.” 

With those parting words, and biting back a smug smile, Byakuya walked away, presumably back towards the library, where he could go without anyone bothering him. That guy is starting to enjoy this, Phoenix realized. He likes the thrill of unraveling the mystery, nevermind that his classmate was dead, and he knew that the wrong guy got accused. Phoenix frowned and shook his head. Still, he couldn’t deny that Byakuya was helpful, at least for today. Odds are, he’d be his enemy again tomorrow, so Phoenix knew not to expect too much. 

“Stay back!” A shout echoed from the dorm. “Mistress Lundenberg requests that you heathen vacate her room at once!”

Phoenix raced down the hall towards the shout, which Phoenix could tell was Hifumi, based on the nasal quality of the yell. When he got there, he saw Mondo, Sakura, and Hina crowded around the door, Hifumi trying in vain to drag Hina out of the room. Sakura pried Hifumi off of Hina like he was made of air. 

“Ah, Phoenix!” Mia smiled, and got up from her chair. “I’m sorry, but I believe you owe Celeste all the money in your wallet. I lost our game quite handily.” 

“She did put up a fight, at least,” Celeste tittered. “Most of my opponents tend to lose right away. I was not bored, Miss Mia.” 

“You certainly are an ultimate, Miss Celestia,” Mia said, as Phoenix sighed and fished a handful of bills out of his wallet. “With my compliments,” Mia said as she handed Celeste the money. 

“Ah, I must thank you for the good conversation, Miss Mia. It appears to be a lost art among… others,” Celeste looked at her more unruly classmates with contempt. “Truly, this Armando man sounded utterly fascinating, and I hope my underling’s coffee did not disappoint.” Celeste gave Hifumi a pointed glare. 

“Oh, Hifumi’s coffee was wonderful,” Mia said, nodding towards Hifumi, who blushed. “And, I enjoyed meeting all of you, I really did,” Mia said, addressing Hina, Sakura, and Mondo. “You all are very exciting to talk to,” 

“You’re just as cool as Maya said you were!” Hina said with a grin. 

“Fuck yeah,” Mondo agreed. “I wonder… have ya seen my brother around in the afterlife? I told ya what he looked like when Maya channeled him, hair like mine, white jacket, ya know?” 

“Sorry,” Mia said. “Spirits don’t really exist in an afterlife until we’re summoned. I wouldn’t have been able to see your brother. I wish I could, though.” 

“Worth a shot,” Mondo said dejectedly. 

“We should all go now,” Mia said. “Celeste would like us to vacate her room.” 

They all filled out, except Celeste and Hifumi, joining Phoenix, who was standing in the hallway. Phoenix sighed, already a bit overwhelmed. 

“Do you guys mind giving Phoenix and I some space to discuss our case?” Mia asked the other three. “I promise, I will see you all again soon. Then, maybe we can talk when I don’t have to help Phoenix here.” 

“Alright,” Hina conceded. “I really want to hear about that one story you were going to start with, about that first time you were channeled!” 

“I promise, I’ll tell you that story soon, Hina. I’ll even bring donuts.” Mia said, as Hina smiled and walked off, Sakura and Mondo in tow. 

Once again, Phoenix realized everyone else on his investigation team: Maya, Pearl, and now Mia, had endeared themselves to Hope’s Peak student body more than he ever did. At least Makoto seemed to favor him the most, though to be fair, he was his defense attorney. Mia let out a sigh, and Phoenix could see that she was clearly worn. 

“Phoenix, apparently that biker boy swore to Maya that she’d have the protection of his gang after she channeled his brother.” Mia laughed. “Does that mean that Wright and Co. is affiliated with one of Japan’s most infamous biker gangs? I’ve clearly missed a lot.” 

Phoenix sighed. “I-I didn’t even know that. Maya told me the basics. I never even got my donut.” 

“What?” Mia crossed her arms. 

“Nevermind, about-” 

Before Phoenix could continue, they heard a loud shout from Celeste’s door. However, neither Phoenix or Mia could make out the words. The shout quieted and moments later, Celeste and Hifumi stepped out of the room. Hifumi’s guilty expression made it all too obvious what had just happened. Celeste glared at Phoenix as if he’d spat at her. She’s almost as terrifying as Jill, Phoenix reasoned. Hifumi couldn’t meet Phoenix’s gaze. 

“Mr. Wright,” Celeste hissed. “It appears you got my underling to say some rather incriminating things about me. He will be reprimanded, but I am glad he came to his senses and told me.” She straightened up, and regained her composure, even going so far as to give him a small smile. “That is why we are going to sort this out tomorrow. In court. There will be no more speaking to the others. Just me versus you. I will be giving a vital testimony to Mr. Edgeworth, and we will face off in court. If I can beat Miss Mia, I will make short work of you,” Celeste turned and stomped off down the hall, towards Yasuhiro’s room. 

“Mistress Lundenberg, I’m so sorry! I was weak!” Hifumi squealed, as he ran off after her, fear fueling him to sprint down the hallway. 

Mia grinned. “That worked out pretty well, Phoenix.” 

“Wait, what?” 

“During that chaos with everyone in Celeste’s room, I was able to get us some evidence… though I don’t know what it was. I found it among one of her card decks. It stuck out, considering it was a weird suit, so I took it.” Mia reached into her bust, and pulled out a single card. 

Phoenix’s jaw dropped. Three of swords, and Celeste had it. However, she didn’t know that Mia swiped it. Suddenly, the ball was in his court again, and Celeste didn’t even know it. Phoenix grinned, and Mia grinned back. 

“Let’s go outside Phoenix, we don’t want to show Celeste our cards too early,” Mia said, crossing her arms, still smiling. “After all, that’s how I lost your money. Celeste isn’t one to be underestimated. If we’re going against the ultimate gambler, we’ll need a trump card.” 

******************************************************************************

May 1st 

Hope’s Peak Academy-Main Gate

Phoenix and Mia walked out toward the main gate, Mia commenting on the sheer size of Hope’s Peak. Phoenix agreed that it certainly was impressive. 

“We should get these scissors to criminal affairs to be processed right away,” Phoenix said. 

Mia nodded in agreement. “We just need Pearl. Where is she?” 

“Oh, I had to leave her behind to talk to this one student to get a lead-don’t worry, I left her with a student I’m pretty sure I can trust.” Phoenix said. “I just find it hard to be certain when I have this nagging feeling that there are things that everyone is hiding from me. These little moments pile up… and it’s making me nervous.” 

“Stay alert, Phoenix.” Mia said. “Make sure you pay attention to every odd quirk, every twitch at something you’d say. Listen to the exact phrasing they use when speaking to you. I’d guess that based on the details of the case, there’s a high chance the killer is among them.” 

“Exactly,” Phoenix nodded. “I wanted to tell Maya and Pearl, but I didn’t get the chance. I’m the one hiding stuff now, but I can’t tell any of the students, even if I’m sure they didn’t do it. I’m just worried my paranoia will put them in danger.” 

“You should be paranoid, it’ll keep you alert. As for the killer, I’m not sure who I’d suspect yet. Though, I do think it’s good to keep it a secret. The killer won’t act if they don’t suspect we’re onto them, so it is a good way to keep everyone else safe.” Mia placed a supportive arm on Phoenix’s shoulder. “You’re doing a good thing, Phoenix. All this will stay between us, which should be easy, considering I’m a spirit and all,” Mia chuckled. 

Phoenix managed a weary grin. “You think you can help out at the trial tomorrow? It’ll give you a chance to observe the students and hear about the case, and I could use you against Celeste in particular.” 

“Of course,” Mia nodded. “You’ll just have to decide if you want to have Maya or Pearl do the channeling-oh! There’s Pearl now.” 

Mia waved to Sayaka, who was carrying Pearl in her arms. When they got closer, Phoenix realized that Pearl was asleep. Sayaka smiled and pressed a finger to her lips as she gently handed Pearl to Mia, who smiled warmly at her sleeping cousin. 

“I told her all about the time I met Makoto, and she told me about the time she met you,” Sayaka whispered, “And then, she wanted to hear some songs, so I sang for her. I sang her this one lullaby I heard as a little girl. I didn’t think she’d actually fall asleep, it was pretty adorable.” 

“Thank you for taking such good care of my cousin,” Mia said. 

“Yeah, thanks for keeping her safe,” Phoenix nodded. 

“Of course,” Sayaka said. “Anything to help, and I really do like Pearl. She kinda makes me wish I had a little sister I could teach my music to.” 

Phoenix couldn’t help but smile at that. It seemed odd that a pop star would seem to enjoy hanging out with a young spirit medium, but Phoenix couldn’t deny that it seemed to be a nice friendship. At any rate, Pearl was certainly happy. 

“Yo, Mr. Wright!” Leon shouted, running up with Kyoko. Pearl’s eyes opened slowly, and she began to rub them. 

“Wha? Sayaka?” Pearl blinked. “Oh, hi cousin Mia!” Mia smiled at Pearl, who yawned. 

“You seem to have woken up Pearl,” Kyoko chided, and Leon laughed apologetically. 

“We came to tell you about those pictures, Mr. Wright-wait Maya?!” Leon’s eyes widened into saucers. “She’s um-uh-well-”

“She’s different,” Kyoko managed. “Certainly some differences can go without saying, right Leon?” 

“Yeah, uh, right,” Leon said, his face turning as red as his hair. 

“I’m Mia, Maya’s older sister,” Mia offered. “I’m being channeled.” 

“Right!” Leon said, slapping a ringed hand to his forehead, causing him to wince in pain. Sayaka suppressed a giggle, and even Kyoko looked bemused. Phoenix just winced in sympathy. “I don’t know why I didn’t think about that, considering I was there for that whole channeling thing-” 

“-The pictures, Leon,” Kyoko said. 

“Yeah! Uh, we looked at all the photos I had, and there weren’t any meaningful items gone, except for that crystal ball, and that thing was shattered.” Leon’s shoulders slumped. “It was kinda a dead end, sorry. Though, uh, Celeste came in looking like someone had stomped on her cat, and she basically shooed us out to talk to Edgeworth. That’s when we decided to print out the photos, then come here.” 

“Did something happen with Celeste?” Kyoko asked, eyebrows furrowed. 

“She’s testifying,” Phoenix sighed. “It’s a long story.” 

“I see,” Kyoko crossed her arms. “You’re going to have to be extra vigilant when picking apart her testimony then, Celeste has a habit of, well, lying. A lot.” 

“Mr. Nick can do it!” Pearl cheered drowsily. 

“We can agree that this stays between us, right?” Phoenix said. He’d already said more than he’d intended to, and he intended to keep Toko a secret for now. Partly because he felt sorry for her, but another part of him knew that Toko wouldn’t even show up to court if she got even a whiff of the fact that Phoenix was planning to make her testify. How, though, was still a mystery, even to Phoenix. 

“You got it, Mr. Wright.” Leon and Sayaka said at the same time. 

“Oh, jinx!” Pearl yawned again. 

“I’m on my way to criminal affairs to process the photo prints anyway, there could be something we’d overlooked,” Kyoko said. “I want them in evidence anyway.”

“We’ll go with you,” Phoenix said, gesturing to Mia and Pearl. “There’s some evidence I want checked out too.” Phoenix kept the scissors in his pocket, not wanting to take them out in front of Leon, knowing he’d confront Toko for sure. Luckily, both Sayaka and Kyoko didn’t press him.

“Alright,” Kyoko nodded. “We’ll set off, and you guys stay here. Maybe… try and see what Celeste is doing. Though, I doubt she’ll tell you guys anything.” 

“We’ll try, anyway,” Sayaka said, and she and Leon headed back into the school. 

“You didn’t reveal that evidence you have for a reason,” Kyoko said, staring at Phoenix. “I’ll be quite curious to see what it is at criminal affairs. At any rate, I’m sure Detective Gumshoe will be glad to be put to work. It’s probably been a slow day for him.” 

******************************************************************************

May 1st

Criminal Affairs

The bus ride to criminal affairs was probably the most calming thing that happened during this whole roller coaster of a day, Phoenix thought. Mia and Kyoko hit it off, and Mia spent the bus ride going over some of her old cases with Kyoko, who seemed to know the details just as well as Mia herself. Mia, for her part, seemed quite impressed with Kyoko. Pearl, bored with all the detective talk, had fallen asleep leaning against Phoenix’s shoulder, still thinking of Sayaka’s songs. 

“You kinda smell, Mr. Nick.” Pearl said as they walked into criminal affairs. 

“She’s right pal, you reek!” Detective Gumshoe said, popping up behind them like a jack in the box. 

Phoenix could’ve sworn his hair was standing even more on end now. “I… went rooting through garbage today, you know.” 

“Ah, getting your hands dirty, eh, pal? I like it! Though, you may want to wash that suit.” 

“Detective,” Kyoko said, steering Gumshoe gently back on track. “I have some photos for you to process. You did already process the evidence from yesterday’s trial, right?” 

Gumshoe grinned and offered Kyoko a salute. “Of course, Detective! I got yours and Mr. Ishimaru’s testimonies officially in the court record! And I’ll have these photos in there as well!” Detective Gumshoe took the photos. 

“Actually, detective, we were hoping you could help us with some evidence we have as well,” Mia said. “Phoenix?” 

Phoenix took out the scissors and placed them on the table. 

Kyoko’s eyes sparked with recognition, and her face fell. “Where did you find these?” 

“Trash can,” Phoenix sighed. “In the gym. I already know they’re Toko’s. Or, well, Jill’s.” Phoenix shuddered. “I’m not sure what it is about her… but she scares me. Anyway, Byakuya actually helped me drag it out of her, though she refused to get on the stand.”

“What exactly do you guys want me to do with these?” Gumshoe asked. 

“We need them dusted for prints,” Phoenix said. “Also, if you could spray them with luminol testing fluid, we can see if there was blood on them that was wiped off.”

Kyoko and Mia both nodded in agreement, and Detective Gumshoe left to get the luminol spray and fingerprint kit. He came back with both, and began to dust the scissors for prints. 

“These prints are faded and kinda smudged, pal. I think that someone handled these scissors over the prints. Well, maybe that was you,” Detective Gumshoe said with a shrug. “Oh, here’s a print. We already have Makoto’s fingerprints in our database, so I can run a quick scan and-oh.”

“What is it Detective?” Kyoko asked, anticipation lining her voice.

“They’re not his prints, pal. It’s not even close. I don’t understand whose they’d be, though.” Detective Gumshoe scratched his head. 

“They have to be Toko’s then,” Kyoko said, looking visibly relieved. “Makoto never touched these scissors, and Toko had at an earlier point, hence why the prints are faded. However, someone may have handled the scissors later than her, and smudged her prints.” 

“If Toko used these as a weapon of some sort-” Mia chimed in, despite not actually knowing who Toko was, or the significance of the scissors. Now that he thought about it, Detective Gumshoe had no clue either. “-If Toko used these, then it would be more likely that she’d have wiped the scissors of her prints entirely,” Mia’s brows furrowed. 

“That’s right,” Kyoko nodded. “Still, we have to test for blood.” 

Detective Gumshoe sprayed the luminol fluid onto the scissors. The steel part of the scissors were awash in blue. Even if it was wiped off, the scissors had been soaked in blood at some point, and some point recently if the testing fluid found this much of it. 

Kyoko swore under her breath. “I should’ve known…” 

“The autopsy said the wounds were different lengths!” Phoenix said, snapping his fingers. “The knife wasn’t used excessively, there were two different weapons!” 

“Why would Makoto-” Detective Gumshoe paused. “-I mean why would the killer use two different weapons, pal? It seems like a total hassle.” 

Mia crossed her arms. “That could mean that Toko merely hid the scissors, and used gloves, hence why the prints are smudged, and why there are no prints of hers on the knife. If these scissors are, ahem, her signature, then she’d need to hide them, but not necessarily the knife, creating a trap for Makotot to incriminate himself.” 

“I just don’t get why,” Kyoko said. “Hiro wasn’t even her type. He’d have a chance of getting killed if she actually liked him, but they were always at odds. They never saw eye to eye once. Normally, that’d be a motive, but for someone like… Toko… or Jill… that would be a deterrent!” 

“It might not be Toko,” Phoenix said. He thought of Celeste and Byakuya, who he distrusted more. It was clear that they were in control to a degree, and students like Toko and Hifumi were their shields, to be discarded at will. There was a part of Phoenix that wanted to stick up for them, even if they seemed to strangely enjoy being servile. “There are other suspects.” 

“Of course,” Kyoko nodded. “You guys should start preparing for your trial tomorrow. I’ll fill in Detective Gumshoe on the details of the day-” Detective Gumshoe breathed a sigh of relief, as he’d been getting more confused by the second. “-You will need to get Toko on the stand somehow, Mr. Wright. Hopefully you can link her and Celeste. I’ll see what I can come up with, and I’ll talk to Prosecutor Edgeworth.” 

“Okay, thanks.” Phoenix said, and he, Pearl and Mia walked off. 

“Are you ready for tomorrow, Phoenix? It sounds like it’s going to get dicey.” Mia gave him a knowing look. “Of course, things always seem to be dicey for you.” 

“Di-cey?” Pearl asked. 

“It means it’s going to be hard for Phoenix,” Mia said. She smiled. “Though, when has a challenge ever stopped you, Phoenix?” 

“I’ll do my best, and you being there will help, Mia.” Phoenix said. “Today’s trial was the warm-up, though. Tomorrow’s trial is going to be tougher for sure.” 

“I guess you better hop to it, then, Phoenix,” Mia said. “We should get to the office, because I’m not sure how much longer I’m going to be around.” 

“Yeah, about that…” Phoenix’s shoulders slumped. “We’re going to have to walk. Kyoko paid for the bus here, and Celeste has all my money.” 

Pearl groaned, but Mia just smiled and picked her up. 

“I don’t mind,” Mia said. “It’ll be nice to walk, to feel the sun, and to talk with you. Just talking casually, like with the ultimates. I’m lucky to be channeled so often, but it would be nice to just get to go on a walk with my friend and my cousin. ” 

“I do miss talking casually with you, Mia,” Phoenix said, managing a weary smile as the three headed out of criminal affairs. 

“I miss it too, Phoenix. Though, now is as good a time as any to start,” Mia said, as the three began their trek home together. Maybe walking wouldn’t be so bad. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I hope this chapter wasn't a drag, I personally found it fun, but I could be wrong. It is hefty. Anyway, I'm relieved the next chapter is an intermission chapter, because I need a breather after this one. Anyway, for the intermission: I'm letting you guys choose the narrator for this one. (I have everything else chosen, but this one I couldn't decide, so I decided to extend the question to the reader.) I have 3 options for you guys:  
> 1\. Sayaka (A Psychic Popstar's Point of View, where we get to look into Sayaka's reasons for standing by Makoto, her thoughts about Phoenix and the team, her time with Pearl, and a bit of the aftermath with her and the rest of the students before/after Phoenix gets there)  
> 2\. Mia (Mia's Gambit, where Mia's facing off with Celeste and we get her thoughts on her limited knowledge, she talks with Celeste and the other ultimates and we get her thoughts on them, and we get Mia's inner thoughts about the evidence and spending time with Phoenix and Pearl.)  
> 3\. Toko (Those Damned Scissors, where Toko's fear of being found out are gone through, she muses about her book, and we get into her head about Edgeworth and Phoenix, and we get a peek into Genocide Jill's thoughts, and her deliberate wording to hide her exact crimes from Phoenix.)
> 
> Court Record
> 
> Attorney’s Badge  
> [My attorney’s badge. It’s still shiny, even though the paint is starting to chip a bit.]
> 
> Magatama  
> [Given to me by Pearl Fey, it has spiritual energy that can show when a person is hiding something.]
> 
> Headmaster’s Statement  
> [A statement given in writing by Headmaster Kirigiri detailing the basic rules of Hope’s Peak. Also talks about cameras.]
> 
> Autopsy Report  
> [Approximate time of death dated April 29th, 9:50 PM. Victim suffered from multiple stab wounds of different length, along with head trauma. Died from blood loss.]
> 
> Miscellaneous Shards  
> [Broken shards thought to be from a crystal ball belonging to Yasuhiro Hagakure. Used to injure the victim.]
> 
> Blood Stain Photos  
> [Photos of the blood stains covering Yasuhiro’s floor. According to Kyoko, the placement of the blood is quite odd.]
> 
> Knife  
> [A rather peculiar knife that was found in the victim’s room, covered in his blood. Has fingerprints belonging to Makoto Naegi.]
> 
> Justice Card  
> [A card from Yasuhiro’s deck labeled: Justice. Has a bloody drawing, thought to be a clover, along with a rather neat ‘M’ on the card.]
> 
> Yasuhiro’s Note  
> [A note written by the victim, saying that he’s leaving his door unlocked for a studying session. The handwriting is surprisingly neat.]
> 
> Oh! Cult Flyer  
> [A poster detailing a getaway at Hazaraka Temple and a chance to learn about the Kurain channeling technique. Found in Yasuhiro Hagakure’s room]
> 
> Dormitory Layout  
> [A diagram of where all the students’ dorms are, along with the positions of the cameras in the hallway. Made by the AI, Alter Ego. The camera’s fields of vision have been shaded in by Kyoko.]
> 
> Map of Hope’s Peak  
> [A map of the overall campus of Hope’s Peak made by Alter Ego. It is rather large.]
> 
> Makoto’s Hoodie  
> [A rather comfortable looking brown hoodie belonging to the defendant. It is stained with the victim’s blood.]
> 
> Kyoko’s Testimony   
> [Talks about Makoto’s condition the night he was arrested. It’s rather concise.]
> 
> Kiyotaka’s Testimony  
> [Makoto had a 7 minute period to leave the room. Also, he had the knife on him before Yasuhiro was moved.]
> 
> Toko’s Manuscript   
> [A rough draft of Toko’s manuscript of her latest novel idea. It features a character remarkably similar to Edgeworth, and another similar to me.]
> 
> Tarot Card Book  
> [A beginner’s guide to Tarot. It lists all the cards in the tarot deck, along with their meaning.]
> 
> Hiro’s Tarot Card Deck  
> [The tarot cards belonging to the victim. Two are missing, Justice and Three of Swords]
> 
> Photos of Hiro’s Room  
> [Photos taken by Leon Kuwata showing the state of Hiro’s room before the murder.]
> 
> Princess Piggles Camera  
> [Camera belonging to Hifumi Yamada. Contains pictures taken on the night of the murder.]
> 
> Milk Carton #1  
> [The current milk in the fridge. Was opened on the night of the murder, presumably by Celeste.]
> 
> Milk Carton #2  
> [Found in the trash in the gymnasium. Was opened by Hifumi, evidenced by the handwriting on the carton.]
> 
> Toko’s Scissors   
> [Found in the trash can in the gymnasium. Blood residue and faded, unidentified fingerprints were found on the scissors.]


	6. The Dead Lawyer's Gambit (Mia)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mia finds herself thrust into a new case, filled with all sorts of characters, ranging from zany to calculating. Can Mia bluff her way to the evidence, even when faced with the ultimate gambler?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, due to popular demand the winner is...Mia! Mia was definitely the overwhelming consensus, so sorry to the people who wanted Sayaka. This chapter was fun to write, and it actually got kinda emotional as I was writing, which was something I really didn't see coming, but I liked it. Hope you guys enjoy, and the trial is next!

????

Hallway?

Mia opened her eyes. She felt the familiar robes of her sister, and as soon as she saw Maya’s dark hair falling down her shoulders, she knew she was being channeled. During her meditations, Maya reached out to Mia, and happened to mention Phoenix had taken a new case, pertaining to a schoolboy named Makoto Naegi. This must be the school, Mia thought, glancing around. They were in a hallway, adorned with nameplates and pixelated portraits of students, some of whom she remembered Maya mentioning. It was a large haze of details. Instead of trying to remember, Mia focused on the present, and felt several pairs of eyes on her. 

She recognized Phoenix and Pearl, Phoenix looked apologetic, and Pearls waved, a cute smile on her face. There were three new faces, though. There was a blue haired girl in a school uniform with a shocked expression on her face, and she noticed that Pearl was clutching her hand. The second face was that of a bigger, sweating boy, clutching the straps of his backpack like a lifeline, his eyes wide under his glasses. The third face is what really caught her eye. It belonged to a girl who sported impressive twin drills and was dressed in a gothic fashion. Mia could see the shock in her eyes, though she was trying to play it off. 

“WH-WH-WHAAAT?!” the boy shrieked, his tie flying in the air with the force at which he jerked back in delayed shock. “SHE’S A WITCH!” Well, that wasn’t the nicest thing to hear, was it?

“That is… rather… extraordinary…” the gothic girl said at last, regarding Mia with a quizzical fascination. Mia felt like she was being studied, and she instinctively tensed up, though she quickly corrected herself. Something told her this girl would pounce on weakness. 

“Who are you?” the bluenette managed to gasp. 

“I’m Mia, I was a defense attorney,” she said, making sure to smile politely and inoffensively at the students. “My sister Maya told me about this case during her meditations when she reached out to me. It’s nice to actually meet you all.” She was here for a reason, and she was going to make a good impression. Phoenix needed her, but for what?

“Celestia Lundenberg, charmed.” the gothic girl, Celestia, said, extending a hand. 

Her fingernails were painted black, and she had a silver ring. Mia politely shook her hand, and Celestia managed a small curtsy. Mia noticed two things about Celestia in that moment: she had an aura of refinement, and she appeared to be the only person in that hallway Celestia deemed important enough to focus on. Her body language made that clear, she was utterly disinterested in everyone around her, bar Mia. Mia wondered why she seemed to deem everyone else unimportant. 

“Hey, Mia,” Phoenix said. Mia turned away from Celestia to face him, and she felt Celestia’s eyes follow her. To be fair, everyone’s eyes were still on her. “Maya told Celeste that if you beat her in cards, she’d tell us more information about a murder case we’re investigating, you can do that, right?” Phoenix’s body language made it clear, this was why she’d been summoned. So, Celestia was holding back information, and it was clear she didn’t deem anyone worthy of her knowledge. Truth be told, Mia never even remembered Maya mentioning a Celestia or Celeste, but it wouldn’t stop her from stepping up. 

Mia grinned, and faced Celestia with confidence. “I was a pro in court, and that extended to my recreational activities-” Of course, that was a lie, Mia never really enjoyed card games- “I’m sure I could make quick work of Celestia-” If Celestia was someone who enjoyed cards, the risk, the gamble, this was bait, Mia realized. Phoenix was biting back a smile, but of course, Celestia was too focused on sizing her up to notice. 

Celeste’s lips curled into a rather bemused smile. “I doubt that. You must not know of my ultimate talent.” 

Mia maintained her confident front, knowing that a single slip could give someone like Celestia an opening Mia couldn’t afford to give. She’d forgotten about Maya’s mention that all the students in this school were gifted with some sort of ultimate talent. She’d mentioned some of them, though Celestia’s alluded her. Of course, it probably had something to do with playing cards, which would mean she was at a disadvantage. 

“I think I know enough about you just by seeing the way you hold yourself,” Mia said. That part was true, at least. One of the core aspects of being a lawyer was being able to size up a person based on body language and initial impressions. She had her attention, now she just needed to make sure Celestia would deem her a worthy opponent. “Isn’t that what people like us do?” Mia asked, crossing her arms to look directly at Celestia. “We size people up so we can beat them.” 

“Yes, I suppose you are right.” Celestia’s eyes glinted with a calculating flash. “I must say, I am excited to add a channeled woman to my resume of people I’ve beaten. Please, Miss Mia, you’re welcome to challenge me for information.” Celestia gestured towards her room, and opened the door, and Mia stepped inside. “However, only you are permitted inside.” Celestia glared coldly at the Phoenix, Pearl, and both of the other students. It wasn’t just disregard she felt for them, it was downright contempt, Mia realized. 

“The rest of you must disperse,” Celestia said icily. “Oh, and undering-” the boy finally snapped up from his daze. Mia realized he was staring at her too, but not in the same way Celestia was, it was a bit more… off putting. 

“-fetch me some more tea,” Celestia said with a wave of her hand. “Oh, and bring a cup for Miss Mia as well.” 

“Actually,” Mia said. “I prefer coffee if you have it. Coffee brings me fond memories.” Mia allowed herself a brief smile, thinking about how Diego probably would’ve enjoyed the mind games of trying to interrogate a witness over coffee. Well, he would’ve before Dahlia at any point. Mia faced Celestia. “Maybe I can tell you about it, Celesta.” 

“I’d be delighted,” Celestia said, with a sincerity that sounded rather odd. Maybe she wasn’t used to being so sincere, or actually wanting knowledge pertaining to another person. As soon as that glimmer of sincerity came, it went, and Celestia turned towards Hifumi with an air of annoyance. “Now, make yourself useful and go get my tea and Miss Mia’s coffee. Go now!” Celestia said with surprisingly unrefined forcefulness, as the boy, Hifumi, sprinted down the hallway with fear. Before Mia could even utter a goodbye to Phoenix and Pearl, or ask that slightly familiar looking blue haired girl what her name was, Celestia promptly slammed the door in their faces, leaving Mia all alone. 

______________________________________________________________________________

??????

Celestia’s Room

She’s very into these risk games, Mia noted as she glanced around Celestia’s room. The room was littered with various gambling items, a roulette wheel, multiple decks of cards, poker chips, though littered wasn’t exactly accurate. It was all gathered relatively neatly on a shelf behind the table that Celestia gestured for Mia to sit at. Mia sat down, still glancing around the room. She spotted more black dresses hanging up on a mannequin, some of which had pins sticking out of them. Celestia picked up a case full of poker chips, and moved to pick a deck of cards, her hand hovering over the deck. At the last second, she quickly switched, selecting the deck next to the one she’d bypassed. I wonder what was wrong with that first deck, Mia wondered. 

“Do you sew?” Mia asked, gesturing to the dress with pins sticking out. She had to admit, it looked quite elegant. Besides, it would be good to break the ice if she wanted Celestia to talk to her. 

“Yes, I do,” Celestia said, showing off the ruffles on her current, just as lavish looking dress. “Many stores just don’t measure up to my taste, so I find myself having to take matters into my own hands at times.” 

“Your dresses are lovely,” Mia said. 

Celeste dusted off the top card in the deck, clearly indicating this deck hadn’t been picked up in a while. “Yes, why thank you,” she said. “They’re certainly a step up from your robes, no?” 

Mia bit back a frown, and instead opted for a polite chuckle. “I suppose, though that’s just your point of view. When I wear these robes, I feel closer to my sister, and my past.” 

Celestia sat down across from Mia, folding her hands under her chin. “Oh? They looked rather uncomfortable, though I suppose you being taller than your sister would account for that. So… your past is something you’re fond of? I must ask, what is it like being dead? Is it cold? Are your greatest desires laid in front of you?” 

Mia shook her head. “That’s not how this is going to work, Miss Celestia. We’re going to play for information, remember?” Mia gestured at the cards. “For every turn in which you win, you may ask me a question, and I’ll answer honestly. If I win, the same condition applies to you, agreed?” 

Celestia giggled, placing one hand over her mouth. “I am the ultimate gambler, Miss Mia. I hope you are prepared to answer my every question. It is a deal.” 

Mia steeled herself as Celestia started to deal the cards, and explained that they’d be playing poker. Dealer’s choice, after all. If Mia had known that, she’d insisted on dealing and playing go fish instead. They’d make bets with the amount of chips they’d been given, and the rules of this game were that loss was officially conceded when one person ran out of chips. For every turn in which chips were won, that would result in a break for questioning. Mia couldn’t deny, she was nervous. Her two cards were a six of hearts and a jack of clubs, in other words, not great. She made sure not to show it in her face, as Celestia was stoic as well. Celestia was the ultimate gambler, and Mia hadn’t played poker in years. The only real leverage she had on Celestia is that Celestia seemed more focused on her than the game itself, and Mia figured that being dead must’ve made an impression on such a macabre girl. 

“Just one thing,” Mia said. “Can I ask what day it is? It’s been a while since I’ve been summoned.” 

“It’s May first,” Celestia said. “Now, since I gave you a free answer, you must answer something for me.” 

Mia grimaced. She’d wanted to know the date, but Celestia had taken advantage. At least she knew it was May first now, she thought, barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes. 

“Have you really played poker before?” Celestia stared at Mia, her red eyes scanning for a crack in Mia’s armor. 

“Yes,” Mia said. Technically, that was the truth. She had played, thinking of a rainy night in the office with Diego, his deep laugh echoing as she lost another round. “You really shouldn’t have folded kitten”, he’d say with an affectionate smile. After his death, she’d just never pursued it. “I really have played before.”

Celestia’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t push it. Instead, she gestured to the table, and pushed forward a few chips, the beginner’s ante. Mia mirrored her, reminding herself this was Phoenix’s money she was playing with. 

“Do you choose to bet?” Celestia asked. 

Mia shook her head, clutching her terrible cards close. 

“Hmm,” Celestia hummed, shaking her head. 

Mia kept a stoic exterior, but on the inside she was suspicious. Celestia was toying with her, like a cat with a string. She must have good cards, Mia reasoned, and is waiting for a larger buy in. Celestia flipped over the three flop cards. A six of clubs, a queen of spades, and a jack of spades. Celestia slid over a considerable quantity of her chips. Yup, definitely toying. Not wanting to be baited, Mia slid over a few chips, not enough to make her hand seem weak, but not overconfident like Celestia seemed. Mia compared her cards, she could bet now. She had 2 pairs, and she’d reasoned that if Celestia got overconfident, she’d just wasted a lot of chips. 

“I’ll bet,” Mia said. 

“Marvelous,” Celestia said. “I will bet as well.” 

Mia gulped. She lay out her cards, making her two pairs of sixes and jacks. Not bad, Mia, she thought with a slight grin. 

Celestia giggled. “Oh, Miss Mia. You really must not bet this early. I do admire your tenacity, though.” Celestia laid out her cards, and Mia bit back a gasp. There were three of a kind, the three queens: spades, diamonds, and hearts. “Three of a kind… mayhaps you could’ve bested me if you’d waited, Miss Mia. Though, I suppose you must have a limited time here, so why not be spontaneous? Still, I’d expected a bit better,” Celestia tutted, as she slid the chips over to her, and began to shuffle the deck.

“Ask your question,” Mia said, wanting to get over the initial burn of loss. It wasn’t the end of the world, Celestia was an ultimate, after all. Still, it hurt. If she’d waited, maybe she could’ve had it. Though, there was a chance that was a lie too, and Celestia’s win was all but guaranteed with those queens. 

“What’s it like being dead?” Celestia asked. “I’ve envisioned it as an Elysium of your greatest desires. You could have a mansion with glorious manservants of the underworld catering to your every whim.” 

That’s probably Celestia’s fantasy, Mia realized, as she looked around at the room. Dark, gothic colors, a cold demeanor. Not to mention the poster she’d noticed, a drawing of Celestia labeled “Queen of Darkness”, with the signature H.Y. on the corner. Maybe she could still win, Mia thought. Celestia could reveal these little things about herself inadvertently, in a desire to appear sophisticated to Mia. I still have an edge, Mia thought, keeping a nice, stoic poker face.

“Being dead is a lot of nothing,” Mia said, shaking her head. “I am sorry to disappoint you, Miss Celestia, but it is not glamorous. I am submerged in an inky nothing until I am channeled again. There are no Victorian mansions or… um, manservants.” 

“Oh,” Celestia sighed, looking slightly disappointed. “I suppose I will have to get my mansion while I still breathe, then.” 

“I guess you will,” Mia said with a slight smile. She wanted to bait Celestia into sharing a bit more. “When I was alive, I never thought of that. I just thought of my next case, or my loved ones. I thought of my little sister and mother all the time.” 

“I suppose that is a difference between us, then,” Celestia said. “I do not think of such things. I have no such attachments to humans. Only my precious.” 

“Your precious?” Mia blurted out. 

“Not until you win,” Celestia tutted, turning Mia’s attention back to the deck. 

Another round went by, and Celestia squeaked out another win, though this time, it was much closer, and Mia remembered to hold until the last round. It was by Mia’s straight versus Celestia’s full house. 

“You’re already improving,” Celestia said, a hint of admiration creeping into her voice. “It took that crybaby Ishimaru months to even tie me in Shogi.”

Ishimaru? Mia furrowed her eyebrows. “I’ve heard that name before.” 

“Of course, his grandfather was in a political scandal-” Celestia began. “-Even that senile old Judge faintly remembered him.” 

Internally, Mia’s heartbeat began to quicken. This Ishimaru kid had been a witness, and Celestia, in her attempt to slander him, just let that information go. She was giving things away, and Mia figured she had to think she was winning to be comfortable to do so. Maybe losing wasn’t so bad, though, Phoenix’s wallet begged to differ. 

“You said coffee brings you fond memories, why?” Celestia asked.

It wouldn’t do any good to lie about something like this, especially with someone like Celestia who could probably sniff out the lie, Mia reasoned. She needed Celestia to feel at ease, and lying would set her back. Besides, maybe reminiscing would be nice. Even if it was with someone like Celestia. 

“It reminds me of my lost love,” Mia sighed. “He was an avid coffee drinker. He was an attorney as well.” 

“I take it that’s where you two met,” Celestia said. “Now, where is useless Hifumi with our beverages? I hate to keep you from your memories.”

“I suppose tea does that for you as well, reminds you of your precious,” Mia assumed. 

Celestia giggled lightly. “No, not quite. Tell me, since I feel your answer is incomplete. What was the name of this love?” 

“Only if you tell me something.” 

“I will tell you the name of my own precious love.” 

“Alright. On three, we’ll both say at once.” Mia said, and Celestia nodded. 

“One,” 

“Two,” 

“Three-” 

“Diego Armando,” Mia sighed. 

“Grand Bois Chéri,” Celestia giggled. 

Mia raised an eyebrow. “What person-that’s a pet name!” Mia said, unable to contain the laugh that escaped her lips. “Your love is a pet!” 

Celestia began to smile, but this smile seemed much more genuine than the one she’d given her in the hallway with the others. Celestia laughed, but this laugh sounded rougher, more real. “Yes, Grand Bois Chéri is my cat,” she said, her voice wavering from laughter. It sounded odd, Mia thought. Almost… natural. “Grand Bois Chéri is my only love,” Celestia leaned over in her chair and showed Mia a picture of a rather fat black cat in a frilled collar, with a rather grumpy expression. 

Mia laughed. “He is utterly precious, Miss Celestia. My Diego Armando was much more unkempt.” 

Celestia nodded. “I’d imagine so, men are such a headache.” 

“Diego called me kitten, actually,” Mia said. “It was his way of showing affection.” Maybe, if she kept this conversation going, more would come of it. Celestia seemed to be opening up, just slightly, and that was progress. Besides, maybe Mia could save Phoenix a little money. 

Celestia frowned. “That seems rather unprofessional. I wonder if your dynamic ever cost you cases.” 

Mia pursed her lips. A moment of sentiment doesn’t equal a warm person, Mia. She chastised herself, but this wasn’t the time to give in. “Diego was plenty professional, and I believe we helped each other quite a bit. It was him who gave me the mantra I keep close to my heart to this day, that keeps me going, even from beyond.” 

Celestia’s eyebrow raised. She was interested again. “That mantra being?” 

“Win and find out,” Mia challenged, and Celestia shook her head, almost fondly, and reached for the cards. 

Another round came and went, and this time, Mia was triumphant. She’d known something was going to change, seeing how Celestia suddenly got very stingy with her chips. A faith based bet during the flop stage gave her and her three of a kind an unexpected win. Mia resisted the urge to cheer.

“You got very lucky, Miss Mia. It takes time to beat me. May I remind you, you won the battle, not the war.” Celestia tutted, trying to maintain her cool. Her pride must be hurt, Mia noted. 

“It’s like you said, Miss Celestia. I’m dead. Time is something I don’t have. Besides, I’m finally warming up.” Mia grinned, and Celestia eyed her. It wasn’t like she’d eyed Phoenix, with undeserved scorn, but with a grudging respect. Mia could live with that. 

“Do you have something against Makoto?” Mia asked, looking Celestia right in the eyes, as if she were on trial. She placed a hand on the table. “Maybe that’s why you wouldn’t tell Phoenix the truth.” 

Celestia shook her head. “I have nothing against Makoto. He is dutiful and obedient. He is a c-rank human, nearly a b-rank. He brings me tea when I ask-much quicker than this-” Celestia gestured with annoyance towards the door, as if she were expecting Hifumi any second now. He was taking a while, Mia thought. “-I would not do anything to hinder Makoto if I could help it.” 

“What about Yasuhiro?” 

“That is another question. Let us play again.” Celestia’s posture tensed for a brief second. Maybe that’s the sore spot, Mia thought. 

However, the next game proved to be the beginning of the end for Mia. She lost rather handily to Celestia, giving away a large portion of her chips. Sorry Phoenix, she thought as Celestia greedily took the chips and added them to her growing collection. 

“Mr. Armando’s mantra, please. It is probably something like: Kitten, you must not fret, for your tender tears are embarrassing me in court. As I said, men are exhausting. Boorish creatures.” Celestia’s lips curled in distaste. 

Mia frowned. “You don’t have a very nuanced view of people, Miss Celestia,” Mia said, and Celestia faced her with her face in her hands, seemingly not understanding Mia’s point. “I’ve noticed you put people in tiers. You box them into where you believe their limitations are. That’s why you’re so surprised that I even beat you once. I was probably in your d-tier, which is why you didn’t think I’d even win one match. You have boxed in Diego with this rather crude view of all men, when you have never met him.” 

Celestia leaned closer to her, almost leering. She probably wasn’t used to being challenged. There was a glimmer of excitement in her eyes, though. It was like a game, and Mia was at least bringing the entertainment. “I have deemed you worthy of c-tier, so I suppose that is something you assumed wrong.” Celestia said. “Now pray tell, Miss Mia. What was this mantra?”

“He said this to me after our first loss. I felt so powerless and defeated… we’d been so close, and everything went wrong. We’d lost our defendant to death… and he’d turned to me. He’d broken a cup in his conviction, I remember the blood pouring from his hands and staining the ground. He did something I never thought someone could do at their lowest point. He turned to me and smiled,” Mia paused, preventing herself from getting too emotional. Celestia was clearly engaged, but she was still on her guard. “Diego told me… a lawyer is someone who smiles no matter how bad it gets. I was on a ledge of hopelessness, and in that moment, Diego saved me. He helped set me on the path I went on, one where I defend clients and serve justice. I will never give that up.”

“I see that not even death will stop you,” Celestia breathed softly, her voice was slightly different. It was less refined, and Mia found she liked it better. “Mr. Armando’s words seem to have vitalized you, even from beyond. It is rather… admirable,” 

Mia smiled, and before Celestia could say anything else, the door swung open. Panting heavily, a very sweaty and red-faced Hifumi came in bearing drinks. He shakily set Mia’s coffee down in front of her, and gave Celestia her tea. Mia looked at him oddly, and his gaze flew to her; he blushed when she gave him a polite smile. Of course, she pointedly placed her arms across her chest, since she figured that was the next place Hifumi would try and stare. Celestia’s soft expression vanished, and she returned to her usual demeanor, if anything even more annoyed. 

“It took you long enough,” she tittered in her usual refined and snobbish fashion. 

She’s back, Mia thought with a frown. While Celestia was busy berating Hifumi, who looked at the ground guiltily, Mia’s eyes flitted to the shelf which housed the card deck Celestia had rejected. She squinted at it, raising her coffee mug at the same time to take a sip. That’s when she noticed two things. Firstly, Hifumi made surprisingly good coffee, and Diego would be proud. Secondly, there was something off-color in the middle of the deck. It appeared to be relatively the same size, but it was brownish, while the other cards were all clear white, creating a thin stripe in the middle of the cards where there shouldn’t be one. Mia knew she had to get to that card pile somehow, but she couldn’t do that now.

The game of poker continued on, this time with Hifumi in the room spectating. Mia lost again and again, her chip pile growing dangerously small as Celestia’s grew and grew, her cool features growing increasingly smug. Of course, she maintained a poker face, but Mia could feel the smugness. Mia was frustrated, but she kept her cool as well. The card game wasn’t her main focus anymore and she could still help the case, even if Phoenix lost whatever cash he had. For his sake, Mia hoped it wasn’t a lot. Mia continued to answer Celestia’s questions: her defendant had poisoned himself, she was Phoenix’s mentor and friend despite what Celestia deemed his “bumbling ineptitude”, and yes, Diego Armando was indeed no longer in the land of the living. She was impressed Celestia had picked up on that one. Mia hadn’t learned much, a fact she attributed to Hifumi’s presence, though she was impressed to learn he was the artist behind Celestia’s “Queen of Darkness'' portrait. His other artwork wasn’t nearly as impressive to Mia, this Princess Piggles seemed rather childish to her, and Hifumi’s stares were discomforting, but he’d insisted he was only into 2D women, and Mia thought that was rather pathetic. Based on Celestia’s eye roll at that statement, she wasn’t alone in that sentiment. Finally, Mia lost her final chips to Celestia, a final mistake of betting and raising early, she was certain she’d won with a four of a kind, but of course Celestia had the one thing better, a straight flush. Celestia stood up, and offered her hand to Mia. Mia shook it, but she was nervous. She had to stall somehow or else she couldn’t-

-A loud knock rang out. With a snap of her fingers, Celestia pointed Hifumi towards the door, and the boy scrambled to answer it. He opened it to a girl with a red sports jacket holding the hand of an extremely muscular, white-haired girl. On her other side, there was a boy with his hair done up in a rather… odd fashion. It reminded Mia of a baguette. Before Hifumi could even utter a word, the girl in the red jacket locked eyes with Mia and squealed, forcing her way in. 

“You’re Maya’s sister,” the girl said, racing to Mia. “I’m Hina! You know your sister came here to channel a spirit but Sakura and I were out getting donuts and-” 

“-Hina,” the white-haired girl said, placing a steady hand on Hina’s shoulder. “I believe you are confusing her.” 

“Sorry,” Hina blushed. “People have called me a super-spaz before. Lemme start over. I’m Aoi Asahina, the ultimate swimming pro. I-I’m just really excited! You’re a spirit, and you’re here!”

Mia grinned, she honestly found Hina’s bubbly energy to be refreshing. Especially after she’d spent an extended amount of time with someone like Celestia. “I don’t think you’re a… super spaz, Aoi, or well, Hina depending on what you prefer. Your energy reminds me of Maya,” Mia’s smile twitched with an element of fondness. It was like a part of her sister was here, in this girl. “I bet you two must’ve gotten along. I’m Mia.” 

Hina grinned, her ponytail seeming to almost curl with joy. “You can call me Hina, that’s what my friends call me! Oh, and Maya and I get along so great! I was out with Sakura, right, and we’re getting donuts for Mondo, and I get back and there’s a bunch of people in the hallway with Maya, and I learn that she’s a spirit medium, and we start talking, and turns out she likes eating as much as I do! I ended up giving her a box of donuts!” 

Mia sighed. “Maya is a voracious eater.” 

“Oh, and we even read some old files and stuff about you, and spiky,” Mia bit back a smile at Phoenix’s apparent nickname, “-you had that thinker clock and Harry-no Larry! You’ve got to tell us that story sometime. Oh, or about your first time being channeled, what was it like?” Hina laughed, still holding onto the other girl’s arm, leaning into her, causing the other girl to smile and wrap her arm around her. “Man, if only you and Maya could both be here! You both are so cool!” 

“Maya was quite kind,” the quieter, larger girl said. “The fact that she went out of her way to help, despite not knowing any of us… it was quite admirable.” She turned towards Mia and extended a hand. “I am Sakura Ogami, the ultimate martial artist.” 

“I appreciate your kind words about my sister. Maya really grew into a kind, confident woman while I was gone, huh? At the very least, I’m glad to know she still makes friends as easily as she used to.” Mia said, shaking Sakura’s hand. Sakura had a collected aura about her, one that balanced out Hina’s energetic one quite well. Seeing as they hadn’t separated since they’d entered, they’re holding hands, and Sakura’s expression while looking at Hina could only be described as loving fondness, Mia guessed they were together. Good for them, she thought. They seemed like a cute couple. I guess love is a common theme today, Mia thought. 

“Yer sister’s channelin’ helped me when I thought I was beyond savin’,” the boy with the odd hairstyle finally piped up. “Name’s Mondo Owada, nice to fuckin’ meet ya,” he extended a hand to Mia. “Yer sister channeled my older brother.” 

“Nice to meet you as well,” Mia said, shaking Mondo’s hand, ignoring the curse words peppered throughout his speech. She doubted he meant anything malicious by it; instead it seemed rather second nature, like a verbal tic or something. “I hope your brother didn’t mind inhabiting a female body,” Mia said with a slight smile. 

“Aw, he got used to it, he still had his hair like mine, though his jacket was missin’. It was like mine, but white.” Mondo gestured to his hair, then his long, black jacket. It had a logo Mia couldn’t quite make out on the back. He furrowed his eyebrows, like he was glaring, but there wasn’t any malice again, like it was more of a reflex. “I was thinkin’, maybe Maya could channel Daiya again sometime for my gang. I know they’d wanna see him again, they’d lose their shit too. They already know I swore I owed her. Anytime your sister needs the Crazy Diamonds, we’ll fuckin’ be there! She’s got my loyalty as the ultimate biker gang leader!” 

Mia crossed her arms, biting back a smile. That’s Maya for you, befriending everyone from swimmers with donut addictions to bikers with foul mouths. Mia turned towards Mondo. “You can ask, but it’s Maya’s choice. Still… I wouldn’t rely on the dead like that. We’re gone for a reason… there comes a time, I believe that you should let a spirit rest once their business here is done. I know that, it isn’t healthy to hold onto a person for too long like that.” Mia looked at Mondo, who’s posture slumped. She felt bad, all of a sudden. Maya probably went through similar emotions when she’d lost her, Mia realized. Two little siblings dealing with the deaths of the older one, the one who’d raised and looked out for them. Well, she didn’t know about Mondo’s life like that, but based on the way his eyes lit up at even the mention of his brother, she could guess they were very close. 

“I-I know,” Mondo said, his voice gruff. “I just wanted the gang to get to say goodbye like I did. They never-I mean-” Mondo crossed his arms. “I can fuckin’ let him go, honest.” His eyes darted away from Mia’s. 

He wasn’t fully ready to let go, Mia thought sadly. She’d been talking about Diego, and his own inability to let go, to let go of her, had driven him down a dark path. She didn’t want the same for Mondo. He seemed like he had support, though, based on how Sakura placed a supportive hand on his back and he smiled slightly. Hina also mumbled something to him, with a kind smile that seemed to help put him at ease.

“You don’t have to forget about him or anything,” Mia assured, wanting to make him feel better. “I mean, I’m obviously still remembered. You can keep him alive in memory, just don’t encapsulate your life around planning his next channeling, or anything like that. I’ve just seen what obsession with the dead can do.” Mia looked at Mondo, and he finally met her gaze and managed a nod. 

“You’re real different from Maya,” he said at last. “You’re a lot more calm and stuff than she is. Kinda like me and Daiya were. He was always the calm one-well, calmer. He wasn’t all brainy like you are-” 

A scoff came from the side of the room. In Mia’s talking with the other ultimates, she’d almost put Celestia and Hifumi out of her mind. It had been a good few minutes when she hadn’t had to manage them, and instead got to talk to some more… pleasant people. People she didn’t have to watch every word around, at least. 

“Excuse me,” Celestia said, walking over. Her expression was marked with pointed irritation, and Mia reasoned that she was frustrated at both the intrusion, and that she wasn’t the sole focus of Mia’s attention anymore. Celestia folded her hands together and cleared her throat. “I’m afraid you simple-minded people forgot that you have barged into my room, and interrupted my time to talk with Miss Mia. If I have to listen to Owada talk in that crass, improper way of his about his admittedly brainless brother, or Hina’s mindless drivel, I believe I will go mad.” 

“The fuck did you say about my brother?!” Mondo growled. 

“Mindless?!” Hina protested. 

“Oh please,” Celestia scoffed. “You were the one who said he wasn’t logical. I am agreeing, as the apple does not fall far from the tree.” 

Mondo looked like he wanted to rip Celestia’s head off, and to be honest, Mia couldn’t blame him. Celestia hadn’t said a lot about Maya, but the little jabs she’d taken at Phoenix, and even Maya’s clothing had bothered her. There was no denying that Celestia thought of herself first, and the feelings of others were a rather unimportant afterthought. 

Celestia had begun to argue with both Mondo and Hina, and Hifumi tried to even pry Hina away, but Sakura intervened the second Hifumi moved towards Hina. Mia inched away, finally not being looked at, and made her way over to the card deck. I hope this is helpful, Phoenix, she thought. Her hand darted to the deck, splitting it at the line where the oddly colored card was. In a flash, she took it and stuck it in her robes without even looking at it, not wanting to risk Celestia seeing. Luckily, no one seemed to notice, and Mia made her way back over to her chair and sat like nothing happened. 

“Please,” Sakura said, clearly trying to keep the peace. She stepped towards Celestia, who backed away. “We merely wanted to meet Mia Fey, and we didn’t mean to start an argument, Celeste-” 

“Stay back!” Hifumi shouted suddenly. He was sweating buckets, and it seemed as if he was finally ready to spring into action for his “Queen of Darkness.” Mia held back from rolling her eyes. “Mistress Lundenberg requests you vacate her room at once!” Hifumi grabbed a hold of Hina’s arm, and began to try and drag her out from the doorway. 

Before anyone could retort, a familiar spiky head of hair poked his head in from the hallway. Phoenix’s eyebrows raised, taking in the confusing scene of Hifumi tugging on Hina to no avail, Sakura putting an end to it once again. Honestly, Mia was relieved to see Phoenix. She’d long since finished her coffee, and this was starting to get a bit tiring. 

“Ah, Phoenix!” Mia stood up from her chair. It’s time to tell him the unfortunate news, she thought. “I’m sorry, but I believe you owe Celeste all the money in your wallet. I lost our game quite handily.” 

“She did put up a fight at least,” Celestia tittered, her composure completely returned, as if she hadn’t just been fighting with Mondo about her insulting his dead brother. “Most of my opponents lose right away,” Celestia turned towards Mia, offering a cordial but fake smile. Mia had seen Celestia’s rare and real smile. This was not it. “I was not bored, Miss Mia.” 

“You certainly are an ultimate, Miss Celestia,” Mia said, giving Celestia an equally fake smile. Phoenix sighed dejectedly and handed Mia a wad of cash, eyeing it mournfully. “With my compliments,” Mia said, handing Celestia the money. Mia wanted to say something about it being an equal transaction, and hold up that mysterious card, just to see Celestia’s fake demeanor drop, but she resisted the temptation. 

“Ah,” Celestia sighed, looking at Mia’s cup of coffee, then back at Mia herself. Her smile was smaller, but it was real as well. Well, realer than before, at least. “I must thank you for the good conversation, Miss Mia. It appears to be a lost art among… others.” Celestia’s small smile vanished from her face as she turned to her classmates. “Truly,” she said, “This Armando man sounded utterly fascinating, and I hope my underling’s coffee did not disappoint.” Celestia glared at Hifumi, as if to imply that if he messed up the coffee, his head would wind up on a spike. Hifumi looked very nervous. 

“Oh, Hifumi’s coffee was wonderful,” Mia said, smiling at Hifumi, who blushed. It really had been good, even if he’d taken a while. She turned towards the rest of the ultimates. “And I enjoyed meeting you all, I really did. You all are very exciting to talk to.” 

“You’re just as cool as Maya said you were!” Hina said with a grin. Mia smiled too. It was nice to know that Maya was still talking about her sis, but Mia also hoped that wasn’t indicative of any lingering regrets, especially considering-

“-Fuck yeah,” Mondo nodded. “I wonder, have ya seen my brother around the afterlife? I told ya what he looked like when Maya channeled him, hair like mine, white jacket, ya know?” 

Mia looked at Mondo sadly. He was making progress, she reasoned, but there was a part of him that still held onto his brother, almost wanting to will him back to life, trying to tell himself he was still around in some capacity. Maya isn’t like that, Mia thought. She’d at least fully accepted Mia’s gone, but she had channeling at her disposal. Those meditations, were those her ways of not letting Mia go, or was it how she maintained her powers? Now wasn’t the time for worry, Mia reasoned. 

“Sorry,” Mia said, facing Mondo. “Spirits don’t exist in an afterlife until after we’re summoned. I wouldn’t have been able to see your brother.” Mia sighed. “I wish I could, though.” 

“Worth a shot,” Mondo’s shoulders slumped, but he didn’t say anything else. 

There had been a part of Mia who’d wanted to lie to Mondo, to try and make him feel better, but this was necessary. Sometimes, the truth was ugly, but she couldn’t lie, like someone like Celestia would. A lie would only set Mondo back further. Maybe it was because of Maya, but Mia felt a connection to his story. The least she could do for him was tell him the truth.

“We should all go now, Celeste would like us to vacate her room.” Mia said, moving towards the door, the others bar Celestia and Hifumi following her. She glanced back, Celestia had cornered an increasingly anxious looking Hifumi. Suddenly, she was hit with an alarming comparison. Celestia and Hifumi, the girl who could coax the unwitting fool of a boy to cough up anything, to degrade himself by any means just to further her own ends. She’d been looking at Dahlia Hawthorne and Terry Fawles this whole time, and she didn’t even know it. The worst part was, she couldn’t do anything about it, as she’d already shut the door.

______________________________________________________________________________

May 1st

Dormitory Hallway

Mia was eager to get back to the case. She tried to push down all the bubbling memories: Diego, Dahlia, Fawles. The parallels and emotions swirled around her head, and she knew she had to focus. Phoenix needed her. She stepped out and faced Phoenix, noticing immediately that his suit was stained, and he looked frazzled. She turned towards the other ultimates, who all looked at her expectantly. “ Do you guys mind giving Phoenix and I some space to discuss our case?” she said. “I promise, I will see you all again soon. Then, maybe we can talk when I don’t have to help Phoenix here.” 

Hina pouted before conceding, making Mia promise to tell the story of her first channeling. Mia agreed, even promising to bring donuts. This seemed to satisfy Hina, who gave her a last wave and smile before running off with Mondo and Sakura. Mia finally let a laugh escape her lips. It felt like she’d just been through the eye of the storm, dealing with the ultimates. They’re certainly unique kids, Mia thought with a sigh. All with their own stories, talents, and quirks. They were all quite interesting, though they were a handful, judging from Phoenix’s demeanor, he looked like he wanted to pass out. 

“Phoenix,” she laughed. “Apparently that biker boy swore to Maya that she’d have the protection of his gang after she channeled his brother. Does that mean that Wright and Co. is affiliated with one of Japan’s most infamous biker gangs? I’ve clearly missed a lot.” 

Phoenix sighed wearily, though with how tired he looked, it could’ve been a yawn. “I-I didn’t even know that. Maya told me the basics. I never even got my donut.” 

Mia crossed her arms. “What?” she said. Again with the donuts, she thought. 

Before Phoenix could even offer an explanation to her, or begin talking about the investigation, a rumbling began to grow louder from Celestia’s door. Mia remembered Celestia cornering Hifumi. Their confrontation must be coming to a head, she thought, and icy dread spreading through her. It probably wasn’t even a confrontation, Celestia probably had broken him instead, her will was iron and his was glass. Odds are he’d messed up something again, maybe she’d noticed the card or- the shouts quieted, and Celestia and Hifumi stepped out of the room. Hifumi’s expression was drenched in guilt, and he looked briefly at Phoenix, but opted to look at his shoes instead when Phoenix tried to meet his gaze. So that’s why Hifumi took so long, Mia thought, a lightbulb going off in her head. Nice going, Phoenix. 

Celestia turned to Phoenix, giving him a stony glare. “Mr. Wright,” she hissed, “It appears you got my underling to say some rather incriminating things about me. He will be reprimanded, but I am glad he came to his senses and told me.” She straightened up, and regained her composure, even going so far as to give Phoenix a small, but very fake smile. It was just as fake as Celestia herself. Just as fake as Dahlia’s innocent gaze. “That is why we are going to sort this out tomorrow. In court. There will be no more speaking to the others. Just me versus you. I will be giving a vital testimony to Mr. Edgeworth, and we will face off in court. If I can beat Miss Mia, I will make short work of you,” Celestia turned and stomped off down the hall. Hifumi followed her, squeaking out an apology. 

She’s testifying, and she didn’t know about the card?! Mia grinned, she’d shown her hand far too early. She really was like Dahlia, overconfident, and ready for a fall. Seeing her grin, Phoenix looked at her like she was crazy. 

“That worked out pretty well Phoenix,” Mia said, unable to resist messing with him just a little. 

“Wait what?!” Phoenix looked at her incredulously. 

“During the chaos with everyone in Celeste’s room, I was able to get us some evidence… though I don’t know what it was. I found it among one of her card decks. It stuck out, considering it was a weird suit, so I took it,” Mia reached into her bust, and pulled out the card. 

This was the first time Mia got to look at her find. It wasn’t even a playing card, Mia realized. No wonder it had stuck out. It read: Three of Swords, and it had a picture of a heart being punctured by three swords. Well, maybe Celestia would like something seemingly dark like this. Mia turned towards Phoenix, and his eyes were bulging out of his head as he took the card, his mouth agape. He grinned and whooped as he put it in his jacket pocket. So it was important, Mia thought with a grin. 

She glanced down the hallway where Celestia had gone. “Let’s go outside, Phoenix. We don’t want to show Celeste our cards too early.” Mia crossed her arms, still smiling. “After all,” she faced Phoenix with an apologetic smile, “That’s how I lost your money. Celeste isn’t one to be underestimated. If we’re going against the ultimate gambler, we’re going to need a trump card.” 

She’d done it, Mia realized. It had taken time, a lot of unexpected reminiscing, and all of Phoenix’s money, but she’d done it. She’d out-gambitted Celestia. I guess she was right, about one thing, Mia thought. Never play your cards too early.

______________________________________________________________________________

May 1st

Hope’s Peak-Front Gate

“This school is truly impressive, Phoenix.” Mia noted as she and Phoenix made their way to the front gate. 

Phoenix nodded, taking in their surroundings as well. Her law school wasn’t nearly this prestigious, Mia thought, she was almost envious of Hope’s Peak with it’s big, comfortable dorms, large impressive structures, and aura of refinement. The only thing that wasn’t fitting into this mould of perfection were the ultimates themselves. She wondered what the criteria for being declared ultimate was. Did all of these students have to be wealthy enough to afford a place like this, or were applicants selected solely on talent?

Phoenix mentioned some scissors he’d found in a trash can with Pearl and the blue haired girl, who Mia learned was called Sayaka. Phoenix left Pearl with her, insisting that she could be trusted, and that did worry Mia slightly. Pearl was her cousin, after all. She had a right to be scared, considering the next thing Phoenix said. 

“I have a nagging feeling that there are things everyone is hiding from me,” Phoenix sighed. This is taking a toll on him, Mia realized. He’s used to putting faith in others. “These little moments pile up… and it makes me nervous.” 

“Stay alert, Phoenix.” Mia warned. Maybe a healthy dose of distrust would be good in a case that seemed to involve so many people, Mia reasoned. At the very least, Phoenix needed to remain vigilant. “Make sure you pay attention to every odd quirk, every twitch at something you might say,” Mia thought of Celestia, the way her eyes would dart and spark if Mia said something with interest. The other students had to have subtle tells too, Mia figured. “Listen to the exact phrasing they use when speaking to you,” Engarde’s tricking of the magatama flashed in her mind. Maya and Pearl were friends with these ultimates, and that left them open to getting hurt. “I’d guess based on the details of this case, there’s a high chance the killer is among them.” That fact unnerved Mia the most, she hadn’t even scratched the surface here, or even met all the students. She could’ve spoken to the true killer, or never even met them. 

Phoenix’s crestfallen expression seemed to confirm her belief. If anything, he’d have even more pressure, seeing as he’s probably met everyone. He had to have a better idea of a suspect than she did, at least, though he seemed at a loss for a definitive answer as well. He ran his hands through his hair. “Exactly,” his eyes flashed with worry. “I wanted to tell Maya and Pearl, but I didn’t get the chance. I’m the one hiding stuff now, but I can’t tell any of the students, even if I’m sure they didn’t do it. I’m just worried my paranoia will put them in danger.” Phoenix looked at Mia desperately. He doesn’t know if he’s doing the right thing, and it’s eating at him, Mia thought sadly. He must feel the burden of all these school kids looking to him for answers about a friend’s death, and he can’t even tell them. Not yet. 

“You should be paranoid, it’ll keep you alert. As for the killer, I’m not sure who I’d suspect yet.” Mia looked directly at Phoenix, her expression softening. “Though, I do think it’s good to keep it a secret. The killer won’t act if they don’t suspect we’re onto them, so it is a good way to keep everyone else safe.” Mia placed a supportive arm on Phoenix’s shoulder, causing his tense shoulders to relax. “You’re doing a good thing, Phoenix. All this will stay between us, which should be easy, considering I’m a spirit and all,” Mia chuckled. 

Phoenix managed a smile, which warmed Mia’s heart. He needed someone to confide in, and Mia was glad to help. “You think you can help out at the trial again tomorrow?” he asked. “It’ll give you a chance to observe the students and hear about the case, and I could use your help against Celeste in particular.” 

“Of course,” Mia said with a nod. She definitely wanted to know more about the case, take Celestia down, and she was curious to meet the rest of the students. She didn’t doubt they’d be just as… unique as the ones she’d already met. Of course, she’d have to be alert and observant, seeing as one of them could be the killer. Still, she couldn’t deny she was excited to see what the other ultimates of Hope’s Peak academy were like. Plus, there was the matter of the defendant, Makoto. She was curious to see what he was like, even Celestia seemed to like him, or well, tolerate him. That had to take skill. She crossed her arms. “You’ll just have to decide if you want Maya or Pearl to do the channeling-oh!” Mia waved over to where the bluenette, Sayaka, was walking over, carrying Pearl. “There’s Pearl now,” she said to Phoenix. 

For a second, Mia was almost worried that Sayaka had done something to Pearl, because she was still in the bluenette’s arms. However, as they got closer, Mia was relieved to see that Pearl was asleep. Sayaka gingerly handed Pearl to Mia with a kind smile, which Mia mirrored. Mia could feel the rise and fall of Pearl’s back as she held her close. This was nice, Mia thought. She felt a sense of relief wash over her as she clutched Pearl; Maya was with her in spirit, Phoenix was alright, and now Pearl was here too. Everyone was accounted for and safe. 

“I told her all about the time I met Makoto, and she told me about the time she met you,” Sayaka whispered, facing Phoenix. “And then, she wanted to hear some songs, so I sang for her. I sang her this one lullaby I heard as a little girl. I didn’t think she’d actually fall asleep, it was pretty adorable.” Sayaka’s smile was aglow with fondness as she looked at Pearl’s sleeping form. 

“Thank you for taking such good care of my cousin,” Mia said. She was glad that Phoenix’s instincts had been right about Sayaka at least. She really did seem like a nice girl, and the way that she looked at Pearl, like an older sister, made Mia smile. Though she was curious as to hear about Sayaka’s first meeting with Makoto, though Mia figured she could ask later. 

“Thanks for keeping her safe,” Phoenix said, giving Sayaka a nod. 

“Of course,” Sayaka said. “Anything to help, and I really do like Pearl. She kinda makes me wish I had a little sister I could teach my music to.” 

Both Phoenix and Mia smiled at that. It was nice to know that Pearl had another sister figure besides Dahlia Hawthorne now, Mia reasoned, pressing back a shudder. Well, she’d have Iris too once she got out of jail for being an accomplice, and absolutely no one could replace Maya, Mia reasoned. Still, it was nice to see. Sayaka talking about singing reminded her where she’d seen Sayaka’s face. Phoenix had several CDs lying around the office with her, and several bandmates, on the cover. Mia reasoned it was the pressing matter of a murder, and her fancy outfits on the album cover that prevented Mia from making the connection. The ultimate pop sensation, Mia remembered. No wonder Pearl liked her. 

“Yo, Mr. Wright!” A boy with orange hair called out, running up to the group, with a white-haired girl by his side. 

The boy was dressed in a fashion Mia could only describe as punk, with lots of rings and piercings, and a rather ill-advised goatee. The girl next to him gave off the aura of being all- business, she wore gloves, a lavender tie, and a serious expression. 

Pearl blinked a few times, and the girl chastised the boy, who Mia gathered was called Leon, and laughed apologetically. He began to talk about something to do with pictures, when he turned towards Mia, and his eyes widened, his face turning redder than his hair. Mia thought he looked like a tomato with piercings, and she stifled a laugh. 

“Maya?!” he sputtered. “She’s-um-uh-well-” 

“She’s different,” the white haired girl said, clearly growing impatient with Leon’s lack of verbage. “Certainly some differences can go without saying, right Leon?” 

“Yeah, uh, right,” Leon said, still red-faced, though he was able to make eye contact with Mia this time at least. 

“I’m Mia, Maya’s older sister,” Mia said, for what felt like the 5th time in a row. “I’m being channeled.” 

“Right!” Leon slapped his hand to his forehead and yelped when the several rings he was wearing made contact with his face. Mia politely covered her grin with her free hand, the other one holding Pearl. Phoenix winced in sympathy, the white haired girl looked like she wanted to smile but held back, and Sayaka openly giggled. “I don’t know why I didn’t think about that,” Leon said, “Considering I was there for that whole channeling thing-” 

“-The pictures, Leon,” the white haired girl interrupted. 

As Leon talked about the pictures of the victim’s room, Mia found herself growing more curious. So, Leon was there too, she thought. She remembered Maya saying something about who all was there, but a lot had happened since that day, and Mia had forgotten. She wondered which ultimates were there that night, maybe that would reveal something about the group dynamic, who’s on the outs, who’s friends with who, Mia thought. Still, she didn’t want to butt in now, not while Phoenix was going about his investigation. When Leon brought up Celestia, the white haired girl frowned, calling Celestia a liar. That intrigued Mia, it was interesting to note at least some of Celestia’s classmates were onto her demeanor. This white haired girl was starting to interest her as well. 

Phoenix made the group swear to secrecy about the evidence, and to Mia’s relief, they all seemed to be on board. It was interesting to note who seemed to be in this little core group Phoenix made up. It was an eclectic mix for sure, the white haired, serious girl, Sayaka the pop star, and Leon, whose ultimate talent still eluded her. He didn’t seem like the type to want to be here, though, Mia thought. That was another question she had. The white-haired girl declared that she was on her way to process some evidence, and Phoenix offered to go as well, of course bringing Mia and Pearl as well. How did she have access to criminal affairs, Mia wondered. 

Phoenix made a point of not telling what specific evidence he was getting processed. Why would he bother to keep it a secret? Trusting Phoenix, Mia kept her mouth shut, and soon, Leon and Sayaka split off, leaving them with a group of four. 

“You didn’t reveal that evidence you have for a reason,” the white-haired girl said, staring at Phoenix. Her stoic expression nearly masked the burning curiosity in her violet eyes. “I’ll be quite curious to see what it is at criminal affairs. At any rate, I’m sure Detective Gumshoe will be glad to be put to work. It’s probably been a slow day for him.”

Oh, this girl’s smart, Mia recognized, but she had access to criminal affairs somehow, yet she still talked to and exchanged information with Phoenix. Just who was she, and what side is she on?

______________________________________________________________________________

May 1st

Bus to Criminal Affairs

The first thing Mia did when the group got on the bus, once setting Pearl down in her own seat, was introduce herself yet again to the white haired girl. The white haired girl gave her a respectful nod before offering a gloved hand, which Mia shook.

“I’m Kyoko Kirigiri, the ultimate detective,” she said. 

“So that’s why you have access to criminal affairs,” Mia said. Kyoko was a familiar name, and she realized Maya talked about her. Mia remembered her being quite fond of Kyoko, though she seemed a bit stoic for someone like Maya to hang out with. At least with Hina, they’d had very similar personalities. Mia turned to Kyoko. “I’ll admit, I was wondering how you’d managed that one. Are you with the prosecution?” 

“Technically yes,” Kyoko explained. Her eyes sparked with intensity. “However, I am doing my search to pursue the truth, not a guilty verdict. I believe in Makoto wholeheartedly, and I will assist in proving his innocence.” 

“Why do you believe in him?” Mia questioned. 

“The evidence is wildly inconsistent,” Kyoko explained, “And I know Makoto, he’s not a killer. He is the most kind person I know.” Her cheeks dusted pink. 

Ah, another example to go along with the theme of love, Mia thought, especially tricky between a detective and a defendant. Mia gave Kyoko a sympathetic glance. The detective tried to brush it off, but Mia saw through it. After a day of relying on subtle cues to face off with Celestia, this was par for the course. Conversely, Kyoko’s seriousness and stoic expression didn’t give off the same undertone of malice and contempt that Celestia’s did, hers reading as more inexperienced in a way, as if she wasn’t used to expressing herself, or it just didn’t come easily to her. 

“I’m curious,” Mia said, changing the subject for Kyoko’s own sake, she figured it would be hard for her to talk about Makoto when he was being tried. Diego still lingered in her thoughts, and it caused her otherwise clear thought pattern to have lingering specks of heartache still floating around. She didn’t wish that for Kyoko, instead turning to a subject she was sure the detective would enjoy. “Have you heard of some of my cases?” 

Kyoko bit back a small smile. “Naturally, Ms. Fey. I remember your first channeled appearance in court to take down conglomerate Redd White, I read about it as soon as it happened.” 

“Do you remember who the defendant was?” 

“Well, first it was Maya, then Mr. Wright ended up defending himself.” Kyoko smiled a small smile. “I bet Makoto would have defended himself if it had come down to it.” 

“Is Makoto a detective too?” Mia asked. 

“No, he’s just smart and intuitive. He’s got the spirit of a detective,” Kyoko said fondly. “His hope and dedication is what makes him able to stand up for himself like that.” 

“Reminds me of someone I know,” Mia said with a fond smile, looking at Phoenix, who was staring out the window in his own world of thoughts. He’s probably already formulating his defense, Mia thought with a grin. He really does right by his clients, and Makoto would be no exception. 

“That’s exactly why I chose Mr. Wright,” Kyoko said matter-of-factly. “I thought he was reliable, and the closest thing Makoto could have to defending himself. He already tried anyway,” Kyoko sighed. 

Mia raised an eyebrow. “He did?” 

“During the first day, he tried to assist the defense, and he was doing a good job too. He still got a penalty, though.” Kyoko frowned. 

“Maybe he’ll get another chance,” Mia offered encouragingly. “After all, penalties aren’t the end of the world.” 

“Hopefully,” Kyoko said, though Mia noted she didn’t look terribly convinced. “Anyway, I’d like to ask you a question. Will you be assisting more at any point?” 

Mia nodded. “Yes, actually. I’ll be Phoenix’s co-counsel tomorrow.” 

Kyoko’s expression remained solemn, though she regarded Mia with interest. “Just like Phoenix’s other cases. I remember the ones where you were co-counsel.” 

“Oh?” Mia asked with a smile. 

Kyoko spent the remainder of the bus ride listing off cases in which Mia helped Phoenix, Mia interjecting with her own thoughts of those experiences. Mia listened intently, as opposed to Phoenix, who drifted in and out of the conversation, and Pearl, who’d fallen asleep. She was impressed with how much Kyoko knew about her and Phoenix, she figured her ultimate detective title was nothing to sneeze at. It eased Mia’s mind to think that Kyoko was on their side (mostly), though she did wonder if Phoenix considered her a suspect. However, based on the subtle tells she gave off, the brief expressions of fondness, the blushing, the descriptions, Kyoko seemed to love Makoto too much to frame him for a crime. Hopefully it isn’t Kyoko, Mia thought as the bus pulled into the station at criminal affairs. After all, I’m beginning to see why Maya likes her so much. Makoto is a lucky guy.

______________________________________________________________________________

May 1st

Criminal Affairs

The group of four shambled off the bus, Pearl especially looking tuckered out. Kyoko courteously paid the fare, which no one protested over, since Phoenix was broke now. Well, broke until they got back to Wright and Co. 

“You kinda smell, Mr. Nick,” Pearl mumbled, rubbing her eyes. 

“Yeah pal, you reek!” Detective Gumshoe said, popping up. Based on the grin adorning his puppy-dog features, he was probably thrilled to have company. He didn’t seem like the type to enjoy office work anyway, Mia thought. 

Phoenix, his spiky hair standing even more on end, slumped over with embarrassment. “I… went rooting through garbage today, you know.” 

Mia stifled a laugh, of course he had. She’d been too polite (and preoccupied) to point out his disheveled suit, but that was the explanation. She’d have to ask Phoenix what exactly caused him to go dumpster diving, though she at least figured it was related to the case. 

“Ah, getting your hands dirty, eh pal?” Detective Gumshoe clapped Phoenix on the back, before wrinkling his nose and detracting his hand. “Though, you may want to wash that suit,” he said, trying to mask his disgust. Before Gumshoe could continue, Kyoko butted in, anxious to get to business. 

“Detective,” she said rather gently, immediately catching Gumshoe’s attention. “I have some photos for you to process. You did already process the evidence from yesterday’s trial, right?” 

Gumshoe lit up and offered Kyoko a salute, and proceeded to affirm he had processed the evidence, that being the testimony of Kyoko and Ishimaru, whoever he was, Mia had yet to meet him. The more she heard about this trial, the more anxious she was to be completely in the loop. She didn’t know Kyoko testified, she must be even closer with the prosecution than she originally thought. Of course, the genial way Gumshoe grinned at her, akin to that of a proud parent, made her think that they’d at least met before. Kyoko seemed to know how to steer him in the direction they needed to go at least, and they were getting down to brass tacks. 

“Actually, detective,” Mia interrupted, turning towards Gumshoe. “We were hoping you could help us with some evidence we have as well. Phoenix?” 

Phoenix took out a pair of rather sharp looking scissors and placed them on the table. Kyoko’s eyes widened, as if she’d seen them before. What was going on?

“Where’d you find these?” She asked, her voice sharp with urgency. 

“Trash can,” Phoenix sighed. “In the gym. I already know they’re Toko’s. Or, well, Jill’s.” Phoenix shuddered. “I’m not sure what it is about her… but she scares me. Anyway, Byakuya actually helped me drag it out of her, though she refused to get on the stand.”

Phoenix sent off Gumshoe to get the fingerprinting kit and luminol testing fluid. All the while, Mia found herself thinking: who’s Toko? Jill? Which one of them owned the scissors? And who was this Byakuya? They’re probably ultimates she hadn’t met yet, and she just wished she’d had more time at the school, though she supposed she’d meet the rest of them at the trial. She didn’t ask Phoenix, figuring he needed to concentrate on the case instead of trying to catch her up, and Mia reasoned she could at least try and piece together the case from what she had. 

Detective Gumshoe returned and began to dust the scissors for prints, and the ones he found were smudged. He went to test if they were Makoto’s. “Oh,” he managed at last. 

“What is it detective?” Kyoko pressed urgently. Everyone was on edge. 

“They’re not his prints, pal. It’s not even close. I don’t understand whose they’d be, though.” Detective Gumshoe scratched his head, looking even more confused than Mia felt, and she’d just started on the case today. 

“They have to be Toko’s then,” Kyoko said, her features awash in relief. This must be what she meant by inconsistent evidence, Mia reasoned. “Makoto never touched these scissors, and Toko had at an earlier point, hence why the prints are faded. However, someone may have handled the scissors later than her, and smudged her prints.”

“If Toko used these as a weapon of some sort-” Mia chimed in, wanting to help, even though she didn’t know who Toko was, or why she owned these scissors. “-If Toko used these, then it would be more likely that she’d have wiped the scissors of her prints entirely,” Mia’s brows furrowed. 

Kyoko agreed, and Mia felt a touch of pride. It’s nice to know I’ve still got it, she thought. It was odd though, she figured this Toko would at least be smart enough to use a different weapon or wipe her prints if she’s known for scissors, especially so considering that Mia remembered a knife with Makoto’s prints was a piece of evidence. She’d think Toko would want to avoid that trap if she were the true killer. Mia was also concerned about how someone would be known for carrying around scissors in the first place. Just what kind of person was Toko? She pushed those questions aside as Detective Gumshoe sprayed the scissors with luminol testing fluid, and the overwhelming presence of blue all but confirmed the scissors were a murder weapon. 

Kyoko swore under her breath. “I should’ve known…” 

“The autopsy said the wounds were different lengths!” Phoenix said, snapping his fingers. “The knife wasn’t used excessively, there were two different weapons!” That’s right, Mia thought. So, the killer used two weapons, but why?

“Why would Makoto-” Detective Gumshoe hesitated, glancing at Kyoko. “-I mean why would the killer use two different weapons, pal? It seems like a total hassle.”

Mia crossed her arms, trying to think of an explanation. “That could mean that Toko merely hid the scissors, and used gloves, hence why the prints are smudged, and why there are no prints of hers on the knife. If these scissors are, ahem, her signature, then she’d need to hide them, but not necessarily the knife, creating a trap for Makoto to incriminate himself.” 

“I just don’t get why,” Kyoko said, her eyebrows furrowing. “Hiro wasn’t even her type.” Wait, Toko had a type? For what? Now, Mia was definitely concerned, this Toko seemed very suspicious. Kyoko placed a hand under her chin. “He’d have a chance of getting killed if she actually liked him, but they were always at odds. They never saw eye to eye once. Normally, that’d be a motive, but for someone like… Toko… or Jill… that would be a deterrent!” 

“It might not be Toko,” Phoenix said, jumping to stick up for Toko. That’s odd, Mia thought. Maybe there was something about Toko that Phoenix knew, she reasoned. “There are other suspects.” That statement was true at least, Mia thought, thinking of Celestia.

“Of course,” Kyoko nodded to Mia and Phoenix. “You guys should start preparing for your trial tomorrow. I’ll fill in Detective Gumshoe on the details of the day-” Detective Gumshoe sighed gratefully; he’d been trying to follow the discussion to no avail. “-You will need to get Toko on the stand somehow, Mr. Wright. Hopefully you can link her and Celeste. I’ll see what I can come up with, and I’ll talk to Prosecutor Edgeworth.” 

“Okay, thanks.” Phoenix said, walking off with Mia and Pearl following. 

“Are you ready for tomorrow, Phoenix? It sounds like it’s going to get dicey.” Mia said, looking at him with her familiar “you ready for this?” gaze. “Of course, things always seem to be dicey for you.” 

“Di-cey?” Pearl asked, tilting her head in confusion.

“It means it’s going to be hard for Phoenix,” Mia said, smiling at her cousin. She turned to Phoenix. “Though, when has a challenge ever stopped you, Phoenix?” 

“I’ll do my best, and you being there will help, Mia.” Phoenix said, looking both scared and determined. “Today’s trial was the warm-up, though. Tomorrow’s trial is going to be tougher for sure.” 

“I guess you better hop to it, then, Phoenix,” Mia said, reaching to take him by the arm, but stopping, remembering he’d rooted through the garbage. “We should get to the office, because I’m not sure how much longer I’m going to be around.” Mia was always impressed by how long Maya could channel her, but she figured Maya could use some rest before tomorrow’s trial.

“Yeah, about that…” Phoenix’s shoulders slumped, and he sighed with exhaustion. “We’re going to have to walk. Kyoko paid for the bus here, and Celeste has all my money.” 

Pearl groaned, clearly tired, but Mia, with a second burst of energy from her coffee, smiled and picked up Pearl. Her grin steadied as she felt Pearl’s arms wrap around her. 

“I don’t mind,” Mia said, stepping towards the exit, feeling at peace. “It’ll be nice to walk, to feel the sun, and to talk with you. Just talking casually, like with the ultimates. I’m lucky to be channeled so often, but it would be nice to just get to go on a walk with my friend and my cousin.”

“I do miss talking casually with you, Mia,” Phoenix said, giving Mia a small smile. She did love seeing Phoenix happy, or at least, not stressing out in the middle of a trial. That was a rarity for her nowadays. 

“I miss it too, Phoenix. Though, now is as good a time as any to start,” Mia said, as the three left the building.

Mia’s grin stayed as she stepped outside. She could feel the sunlight kiss her skin, the sensation filling her with a sense of determination. Phoenix stepped out to greet her, and ruffled Pearl’s hair, and she grinned at him from her perch in Mia’s arms. This is why I’m here, Mia thought. As long as my friends-no, my family- need my help, I’ll never be done with this world. She’d always be around to aid Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl, to serve the justice she swore to protect when she’d first received her attorney’s badge. Based on Phoenix’s increasing confidence as he began to lay out the details of the case to her, while she took mental notes and offered encouragement and ideas, she was already doing her part. A lawyer is someone who smiles no matter how bad it gets, and Mia was grinning ear to ear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, hopefully that chapter was a good intermission. It lowkey turned into Diego Armando reminiscing hours for a while, which I found interesting to explore, since T and T focused more on Diego reminiscing about Mia, it was the other way around this time. I also touched upon some interesting parallels I liked, for example Celeste and Dahlia, and the rather heartbreaking parallel between Maya and Mondo when it comes to having their older siblings die on them. I actually thought of the two pictures we're given in the games, of Maya reaching out for Mia after discovering her body, and Mondo holding Daiya in his arms as he dies. Though, I guess the difference lies in how Maya and Mondo chose to handle said deaths respectively. I'm cutting myself off before I write an essay. Anyway, get excited, because the trial is up next, and I have a few suprises I think you guys are going to like!


	7. Day 3- Trial (Phoenix)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Phoenix's second day in court, and he's facing off with the Queen of Liars! Will he be able to buy another day for his defendant, or will this be the end of the road?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this trial was a doozy. It's definitely longer than D1, because there is more to discuss, and wringing the truth out of a certain witness is obviously going to be harder that Kyoko and Taka, who weren't lying. Writing trials is always a blast for me, so I basically wrote this in bursts where I'd be writing for hours some days to meet my (self-imposed) Sunday deadline. It was also brought to my attention in a previous comment (shoutout to WiiFan2009) that some crucial characters had yet to make an appearance, so let's just say our recesses are about to get a lot more eventful. 
> 
> I guess this chapter is my Christmas/Channukah present to you guys. Enjoy it, since this is pretty much where shit starts to go down.

May 2nd, 9:15 AM

District Court

Defendant Lobby No.2

“So, one of us is going to have to channel Mia?” Maya said, as she, Phoenix, and Pearl made their way into the courtroom. 

Phoenix nodded. “Sorry, but I could use her help. Besides, I filled her in on the case yesterday during our walk home, so it’s not like she’s going in blind.” 

“Is that why my legs are so sore, Nick?” Maya whined. 

“Who’s Mia?” The familiar voice of a certain luckster butted in. 

Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl turned to face Makoto, who looked rather worn. All that questioning and not being able to talk to his classmates must be getting to him, Phoenix reasoned. 

“Mia’s my older sister,” Maya said. “She was a great lawyer when she was alive, even better than Nick! She’s going to help us, and I’m sure she’ll love you.” 

“Hey! Mia’s only a bit better than me,” Phoenix protested. “She did say she was eager to meet you, Makoto. Especially after she heard about your, uh, moment during yesterday’s trial.” Phoenix chuckled as Makoto’s cheeks went pink. 

“Can Pearls do the channeling?” Maya whined. “I want to see what I missed yesterday. Is that okay, Pearly?” 

Pearl nodded. Before she could close her eyes to begin the channeling, a cry rang out. 

“Hey, Mr. Wright is here!” Hina shouted, pointing to their group. 

Suddenly, the large majority of the class was headed their way, a far cry from yesterday. Notably, Celeste and Kyoko were missing, both standing over with the prosecution. Hifumi, for his part, was also hovering close to Celeste, holding a teapot in his hands. Seriously?! Phoenix suppressed an eye roll. 

“Hey, Wrighto, I heard something about you channeling a spirit yesterday!” Junko beamed at him. “C’mon, don’t hold out on us, my poor sister and I haven’t gotten to see any supernatural stuff yet!” 

“I haven’t seen it either,” Byakuya noted. “I wonder if it is really all smoke and mirrors.” 

“It’s totally real!” Maya said, glaring at Byakuya. “Pearly was about to channel my sister, Mia! She’s going to help Nick today!” 

“Mia’s coming back!” Hina grinned. She nodded to Sakura, who produced two familiar looking boxes from behind her back. Phoenix’s rumbling stomach recognized them as donut boxes. Hina offered a box up, and Phoenix reached for a donut, only for Hina to slam the box shut. “They aren’t for you, spiky! They’re for Mia! I thought she’d want some food, seeing how she’s a spirit and all, she probably doesn’t get to eat much.” 

Phoenix sighed mournfully. At least it’s a nice gesture, he reasoned. Maya was nudging Pearl to start the channeling, but Pearl shrank back, looking nervous at all the attention suddenly on her. Byakuya was muttering something about it being a hoax, and Mondo had shot back with something about how Byakuya’s head was rammed too far up his-nevermind. Others in the class were starting to get involved, and he couldn’t keep up. Phoenix was getting a headache. He did notice Makoto, despite being handcuffed, trying to help Maya comfort Pearl. 

“Hey, stop it!” Sayaka shouted. “You guys are scaring Pearl! Let her focus, and shut up!” 

Everyone stopped, surprised at Sayaka’s outburst, except Makoto, who actually broke out into a grin. Pearl, motivated by Sayaka’s encouragement, closed her eyes, and in mere moments, Mia was standing before them. 

“Close your mouth, you're bound to catch flies,” Mia said with a smile, facing a slack-jawed Byakuya. 

Leon and Mondo howled with laughter as Byakuya’s face flushed with indignation; Hina and Sayaka began to giggle as well. Of course, Phoenix considered it a bit hypocritical on Leon’s part at least, he remembered how red Leon turned when he’d first seen Mia. Kiyotaka chided them for laughing, while Sakura merely stood silently by. Toko tugged at her braids, frozen in shock, and he noticed her face flush as she eyed Mia. Honestly, he didn’t think Mia seemed like Toko’s type, though Phoenix noted Mia tended to have that effect on people. Mukuro, for once, lost her stoic veneer, and her eyebrows furrowed with fascination. Junko grinned ear to ear, clutching onto her sister’s arm. As for Chihiro-

“-Holy shit!” Junko laughed. “Look at that! No wonder Hiro blabbed about this stuff!” 

“It’s definitely something,” Mukuro nodded. “Pearl must be quite skilled.” 

“You bet she is!” Maya said, grinning with pride. “Pearly is one of the best mediums in our village, despite her age!” 

“Cute but useful, I like it!” Junko said, flashing a thumbs up. “Just like my limited edition Monokuma hair clips!” 

“They are super cute,” Maya admitted, reaching out to touch one, before Junko batted her hand away with surprising force. Maya pouted. “Aw, man.” 

“These don’t leave my person, Maya!” Junko wagged a finger at Maya, who giggled. 

“Oh, Mia, Sakura and I got you these!” Hina grinned and presented the box of donuts to Mia. 

“Thank you, that’s very thoughtful, Hina.” Mia smiled. “You too, Sakura. You girls are very considerate. Your classmates are lucky to have you two.” 

Sakura merely nodded, while Hina beamed with pride. They still had the other box of donuts, and Phoenix reasoned it was for them. Even though he wanted one very badly. Mia tucked the box of donuts under her arm and turned to face the rest of the students.

“In case any of you didn’t catch it before, I’m Mia Fey, and I was a lawyer,” Mia said, trying to get back on topic. “It’s nice to see you guys again, and it’s nice to meet those I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet.” 

Before Junko could even put out her hand, Byakuya cut in front of her. “Byakuya Togami, ultimate affluent progeny,” he said, extending a hand. “I’ve read about your cases. I know you help Mr. Wright here when he can’t help himself.” 

Mia shook Byakuya’s hand with a frown. “I’ve heard your name before, Mr. Togami. You’re next in line for the Togami corporation, correct?” Byakuya nodded, and Mia’s face twisted into a small smile. “You should know that the last corporate leader I faced off with ended up with life in prison.” 

“Redd White was a buffoon,” Byakuya said. “I am nothing like him.” 

“I see,” Mia said. “I believe I know enough about you from Phoenix here to make my own judgments.” 

Before Byakuya could retort, Junko cut him off. “I’m Junko Enoshima, the ultimate fashionista, and this-” she gestured to Mukuro, “-is my twin sister, Mukuro Ikusaba, the ultimate soldier!” 

Mia shook hands with Junko, before extending a hand to Mukuro. Mukuro had a moment of surprise before shaking Mia’s hand. 

“What’s wrong?” Mia asked her. 

“She’s just shy,” Junko said. 

“I was asking Ms. Ikusaba,” Mia said rather suddenly. “I believe she can answer for herself.” 

Junko pouted, and crossed her arms. Mukuro tensed up, and placed a hand on Junko’s shoulder. 

“She’s right,” Mukuro muttered. “I-um,” 

A sneeze interrupted Mukuro before she could finish. Makoto bashfully attempted to cover his mouth with his elbow, but the cuffs made it rather awkward looking. Mia, noticing the cuffs, turned to him with interest.

“You’re Makoto, right?” Mia said. “It’s very nice to meet you. I’ve heard great things. Though, you don’t seem terribly lucky.” She smiled and reached out to gingerly shake one of Makoto’s cuffed hands. 

Makoto smiled back. “Yeah, it’s nice to meet you. Maya talked about you… and you seem familiar. I mean, like your name.” He furrowed his eyebrows. “Oh yeah, Kyoko! She talked about cases you handled sometimes.” Makoto smiled, looking over to where Kyoko was talking to Detective Gumshoe. His face softened with a blush. 

Mia hid a knowing smile behind the palm of her hand. “They really are rather obvious about their feelings, aren’t they, Phoenix?” she whispered with a titter, looping an arm around Maya as well, who grinned devilishly at poor Makoto. 

Phoenix nodded. He had no idea how they hadn’t caught onto the other’s affections yet. After all, with one of them being a detective, Phoenix thought that they’d had to have figured it out by now. How could anyone be so dense? 

“It’s funny sis,” Maya whispered with a grin, looking at an increasingly flushed Makoto. “They know so much about everyone else, yet they’ve got no clue! Just like Nick and-” 

“-hey, what are you saying?” Makoto asked. “It’s about me, isn’t it.” 

Maya attempted to deny it, but Mia shook her head, affirming Makoto’s suspicions. “You’ve got a natural knack for deduction, Makoto.” She smiled. “I think I like you already- though,” Phoenix raised an eyebrow as he saw worry begin to dot Mia’s features. “Where is your family? I would think they’d be supporting you.” 

That’s actually a good point, Phoenix thought. He hadn’t thought about it before, mostly because Makoto hadn’t mentioned them. Phoenix heard mutterings from the class, and Makoto looked forlorn, like he’d avoided bringing up his family for a reason. 

“That’s true,” Mukuro said. Phoenix was shocked that she of all people spoke up. Mia’s eyes widened as well. “Where are your parents? Komaru?” 

“I-I don’t know, I’ve been in the detention center the whole time,” Makoto said, his eyes losing spark for the first time. “I haven’t heard from my parents or sister, and I’m just worried. What could they think of me? I didn’t want to bring it up, because I didn’t want to lose hope in them, or their faith in me but...” he sighed. “I hope they’re okay.” 

“I’m sure they’re rooting for you,” Sayaka said, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder. Many of the others of the class also offered sympathy, though it didn’t seem to do much good.

“I just wish that I could see them,” he sighed. 

A resounding  _ crack _ echoed across the lobby, and both the defense and prosecution groups turned to face the source of the sound. Phoenix shuddered as his eyes traced the sound to an all too-familiar whip. He gulped as he saw Franziska von Karma whipping an unfortunate looking reporter, standing in between him and a short-haired girl with an ahoge and rather familiar looking eyes. 

“You should stay away from Ms. Naegi, unless you want to taste my whip again,” Franziska leered at the man, who cowered in fear. “Now, go cower outside with the rest of your foolish media hounds.” The man, probably grateful to be alive, ran outside. There was a part of that statement that struck Phoenix. Did she say Naegi? 

“Holy shit,” Leon breathed. “Did anyone else just see that lady whip a guy?” 

“Komaru?” Makoto said softly, disregarding Leon’s statement and looking at the girl standing beside Franziska. Phoenix could’ve sworn he saw the spark of hope immediately reignite in Makoto. If she had the last name Naegi that must mean-

“-Makoto!” Komaru ran towards Makoto, and swept him up in a hug, managing to lift him off the ground. “I never thought I’d make it here! It’s been really bad at home with the press and everything and…” Komaru took a deep breath, her face growing red from lack of oxygen. “Miss von Karma really helped me out. She seems really nice!” 

Phoenix almost laughed at that last statement, and he could see Maya holding in a giggle. However, Franziska coming up behind Komaru quickly put a stop to any potential laughing. 

“I noticed Miss Naegi being hounded by some foolish reporters as she tried to get into the courthouse,” Franziska said, her hands still around her whip. “I decided to escort her in myself, I figured she deserves to see her brother’s trial.” 

Komaru nodded. “Ms. von Karma was like a hero in a manga, riding up with their trusty weapon to slay the demons! Like, the media was all around our house the first day, and we couldn’t even leave the whole time, or we’d be mobbed! I decided to sneak out, because I couldn’t take it anymore,” she looked at Makoto with a smile. “I wanted Makoto to know we support and believe in him. I snuck out, past those cameras and news crews surrounding our house, but as I got to the courthouse someone recognized me, and then it was happening again… but Ms. von Karma introduced herself, then began whipping everyone in sight! It was amazing!” Komaru’s eyes seemed to light up as she looked at Franziska, who actually seemed slightly unsure of how to deal with Komaru’s admiration. 

“Thank you so much,” Makoto said, nodding at Franziska. 

“Why are you here, Franziska?” Edgeworth’s voice cut through. 

He’d left his group, leaving Kyoko and Detective Gumshoe to watch over Celeste, who was busy leering at Phoenix. He shuddered, but he did note Kyoko’s expression lightened when she saw Komaru. She said something to Detective Gumshoe, who grinned as well. 

“Ah, I was in town, and I heard about your trial, little brother. I wanted to see how it is that such a seemingly open and shut case got botched in your hands. I know that if I were in charge, this case would be done,” Franziska looked towards Kyoko and Detective Gumshoe. Kyoko nodded towards her, and Gumshoe saluted, his features awash in fear. “I also wanted to check in on the career of that Kirigiri girl. I read the transcript of her testimony, and I was rather impressed.”

“Wait, you two are related?” Junko said, pointing at both of them. “You look nothing alike!” 

“We are not blood relatives,” Edgeworth answered. He turned towards Franziska. “I’m not here to win, I am here to find the truth. And the truth could very well be that Makoto is innocent.” 

Franziska pursed her lips. “I see. I suppose, Mr. Naegi doesn’t appear to have the coldness one would suppose a murderer to have.” 

“He didn’t do it!” Komaru cried, despite seemingly being unaware of the details of the case. Franziska for her part, did nothing to correct or contradict her. Komaru tugged on the cuff of Franziska’s uniform. “You’ll see, Ms. von Karma! This trial will show you that my brother is too much of a softy to be a killer. Trust me, I’ve watched enough TV and read enough manga with him to know that Makoto’s kind of a sap.” 

“Komaru!” Makoto squawked. “This is going to be about facts!” 

“Yeah, and the facts are you’re a big sap.” Komaru smiled. “Oh, this character has so much hope! Oh, Kyoko would love this character-” Makoto elbowed Komaru, which was impressive, considering he was cuffed. 

“Well, you’re definitely siblings,” Mia said with a small chuckle. “That’s how you know you love each other, the teasing.” 

Edgeworth sighed. “I suppose you have a point there, Ms. Fey. Now I have a witness to attend to, and I believe my detectives have suffered her presence for too long already.” 

“I will be going with you, of course.” Franziska said, leaving before Edgeworth could protest. He sighed and followed Franziska. 

“I actually missed this,” Makoto said with a laugh. “And it’s only been a day.” 

“I couldn’t let you down, Makoto,” Komaru said. “I’ll be here for you, every step of the way. Don’t give up, because I won’t give up on you, and neither will Mom and Dad! As long as you have your family, you’ll have hope!” 

Makoto nodded, and smiled. The mood seemed to elevate, and everyone seemed to be rather invigorated by the energy Komaru brought. 

“Makoto!” Kiyotaka’s voice rang through the group. Seeing how his shout reverberated, he flushed, probably not meaning to be that loud. “I wanted to apologize to you and-” 

“-It’s okay, Taka,” Makoto said, offering Kiyotaka a small smile. “I understand why you said what you did. It wasn’t against me at all.” 

“I also wanted to warn you,” Kiyotaka said, his shoulders slumping. “My father-oh, he is a police officer by the way-he volunteered to be among those dispatched to talk to Hiro’s mother and tell her the news… and he told me she’s going to be here today. And…” Kiyotaka’s eyes fell to the floor. “You’re the only one she can think to blame. Just… be prepared.” 

“Yeah, you said that last night,” Chihiro, who had been silent up until that point, mumbled. Upon looking at the tiny programmer, Phoenix was shocked. She looked awful, she had bags under her eyes and her clothes and hair were askew. 

“I don’t remember meeting you both,” Mia said, quizzically. “Chihiro and Kiyotaka, right? I remember Phoenix saying you testified,” she said to Kiyotaka, who nodded. “And you,” she turned towards Chihiro, “You’re the ultimate programmer. Quite an impressive feat.” 

“Chihiro’s probably one of the smartest girls I know!” Maya said. 

“Uh-uh,” Chihiro mumbled sleepily. “That’s uh, not right,” 

The whole class fell silent, and Kiyotaka hastily began to speak. “Don’t mind her!” He almost yelled. “She is just very tired, as we stayed up all night with something for Mr. Wright. It took a lot of skill… though I will confess it was mostly on Chihiro’s end. Chihiro?” 

“Left it at school,” was all Chihiro could get out before she slumped over, Mondo barely managing to catch her. He gently slung her over his shoulders like a rag doll. 

“I’m uh, gonna get Chihiro to the benches… we’ll uh, catch up with ya later. Besides, it’s better if I scram before you’re dad shows,” Mondo said to a frowning Kiyotaka, who’s expression flickered with guilt. “It’s nice to see ya again, Miss Mia,” Mondo said, before taking off with an asleep Chihiro, and Phoenix was more confused than ever. He looked at Mia and Maya, both of whom shrugged. 

Before Phoenix could comment on anything, or begin to ask questions, a tired-looking man wearing a policeman’s uniform who looked very similar to Kiyotaka walked in, escorting a woman with pink hair. She was smoking a cigarette, and offered it to the man, who declined. Phoenix squinted, barely able to make out the name on the man’s badge: ISHIMARU. The woman’s eyes flitted over to the group, and as soon as she saw Makoto, her eyes became clouded with rage. Despite the man trying to steer her towards the benches, she stormed over. 

“You,” she spat, jabbing a finger at Makoto’s chest. “You killed my son in an act of senseless violence, and you have the nerve to fucking lie about it! He was your friend, he was finally going to graduate and y-you’re both so young-” her voice broke, and her face softened for a moment before reverting back to hardened anger. “-You’ll pay, if I have anything to say about it.” She put out her cigarette on the floor, leaving a single mark. She stormed off, leaving the remaining students in shock. 

“I’m sorry,” the man, Ishimaru, said. He picked the cigarette off the ground, muttering something about littering. Well, Kiyotaka has to get it from somewhere, Phoenix reasoned. Officer Ishimaru sighed. “I tried to tell her, but… she is-was-no, still is very protective of her son. I can’t say I wouldn’t be furious as well.” He gave Kiyotaka a glance and nod, as if to say he was grateful his son was spared and left to go after Hiro’s mother. 

“Her name is Hiroko,” Leon said quietly. “She’s always been really protective of Hiro. I met her once, she seemed, uh, a lot more chill.” 

“She needs someone to blame,” Makoto said sadly. “She probably feels like she failed Hiro.” 

“That doesn’t mean she should blame you!” Komaru protested. 

“She’ll blame whoever is easiest, because the only other option would be to blame herself,” Mia said solemnly. “Though, maybe she already does. I don’t know for certain.”

“Everyone, please head inside! The trial is about to commence!” The bailiff's voice cut through before anyone else could speak. 

Everyone headed off, Maya leaving with the ultimates, leaving Phoenix and Mia. Despite Komaru’s positive energy, and the assurances the other ultimates had offered Makoto before heading in, like Hina offering a supportive smile, Kiyotaka giving a salute, Sakura merely telling him to stay calm, Leon giving him a thumbs-up, and Sayaka giving him a hug, had all been overrun by Hiroko’s grief and anger. Now, the crushing weight of despair and death loomed in the courtroom, Hiroko’s presence serving as a harsh reminder of the gravity of the case. Besides, they hadn’t even stopped to consider that the challenge was just beginning, Celeste waiting to battle them. In fact, Celeste made a point to walk up to Phoenix and Mia as they were heading in.

“I look forward to our game, Mr. Wright. I am sure that even with the help of Miss Mia, you will lose.” Celeste said, holding two cups of tea. 

“This isn’t a game, Celeste,” Phoenix said. “This is Makoto’s life at stake. It’s Hiro’s memory, too.” Phoenix thought of the grieving of the other ultimates, Komaru’s worry, and Hiroko’s loss, and wanted to slap the tea cups out of Celeste’s hands. “Do you really not care at all?” 

Celeste turned towards Mia, completely ignoring Phoenix. She raised one of the teacups. “Here, Miss Mia. To wash down the nauseating sweetness of those donuts.” 

Mia took the cup, though Phoenix noticed she didn’t drink. “Thank you, Celestia. This will help me relax. Though, I have a feeling you’ll need this more than me.” Mia smiled. “After all, we’re not playing cards anymore. This is our territory… and I do believe the house has an edge.” 

Celeste pursed her lips. “I do believe I am needed,” she said, giving Mia a curt look before taking a breath, her face reverting to a pleasant smile. She headed inside, where the bailiff was guiding her.

“We can take her, Phoenix,” Mia said, as if she were reading his mind. “Celeste is fake. At the end, that fakeness can and will slip. We just have to help it along. We expose one part of her, and she’ll unravel.” 

Phoenix nodded as they headed in, but he couldn’t help but be nervous. Now, there were even more eyes on him, and he was about to face a witness who specialized in lies. At the very least, he was grateful to have Mia by his side.

******************************************************************************

May 2nd, 10:00 AM

District Court

Courtroom No.3

Phoenix glanced around at the benches of the courtroom. This time, the seating arrangements differed. Instead of sitting together, the ultimates had split up. The majority of them still sat in one row, Chihiro was barely awake and leaning against Mondo, who was next to Kiyotaka. Kiyotaka was talking to Sakura, and he seemed nervous, though Sakura seemed to have a calming effect on him. She did seem like one of the more grounded members of the class, Phoenix reasoned. Sakura was sitting next to Hina, who’d opened the box of donuts, and was sharing them with Maya, who was sitting between Hina and Leon. Sayaka rounded out the group, sitting on the end of the bench, smiling comfortingly at Makoto. 

Mukuro, Junko, and Hifumi sat in the row below them, despite there being room on the bench. It was odd to see who’d stuck together, Phoenix noted. Mukuro and Junko seemed to be on an island, Mukuro even looking away when Sayaka moved on from Makoto and tried to engage her with the offering of a donut, and Junko filed her nails disinterestedly. Hifumi seemed too terrified to even comprehend where he was, probably thinking of what Celeste was going to say.

Toko and Byakuya were in the row below theirs, Toko no doubt just went wherever Byakuya did. Byakuya made a point of sitting by Kyoko and Detective Gumshoe, and that unnerved Phoenix. Judging by Kyoko’s aside glance towards him, it bothered her as well. Though, if anything, Byakuya just looked annoyed at Detective Gumshoe, who’d offered a rather zealous introduction from the looks of it. Also in that row, Komaru was sitting in between Kyoko and Franziska. Komaru was talking to Kyoko, and he saw Kyoko blush, and Komaru grin. Even Franziska seemed bemused. Phoenix wondered what she’d said, and glanced towards Makoto, who looked like he wanted to leap into the stands to join the conversations. 

“He definitely isn’t the sidelines type, Phoenix.” Mia said with a grin, waving to Makoto, who waved back. “He reminds me of you already.” 

“They all sat together before,” Phoenix muttered. “Why would they split up now?” There was something about this new, visible division in the class that worried Phoenix. 

“Look at the other side of the court too, Phoenix,” Mia said. 

Mia gestured to the other side of the court, where Officer Ishimaru was sitting with Hiroko. Hiroko looked straight at Makoto with venom in her eyes, and Ishimaru merely gave him a cursory glance, and muttered something to Hiroko, though she didn’t seem to listen. Officer Ishimaru glanced at Phoenix, no wait, he was glancing above Phoenix, probably to where Kiyotaka was sitting. He saw Officer Ishimaru’s eyes narrow, and Phoenix vaguely recalled the earlier conversation in the lobby where Mondo implied that Officer Ishimaru wasn’t his biggest fan. Well that’s got to be super awkward-

“-Earth to Phoenix!” Mia snapped her fingers in front of him. She gestured to where the Judge was walking up to the podium. Once again, Mia saved him from almost daydreaming on the job. He had to admit, the drama in the ultimate’s lives was intriguing, though now wasn’t the time to think about that.

“Order, order!” The Judge hit his gavel, and the sideline conversations ceased. The Judge leaned forward in his chair, satisfied with the quieted courtroom. “Court is now in session for the trial of Mr. Makoto Naegi!” the Judge said.

“The defense is ready, Your Honor,” Phoenix said. 

“The prosecution is ready as well,” Edgeworth nodded. 

“Let’s hear your opening statement, Mr. Edgeworth.” the Judge said, facing Edgeworth.

“Very well,” Edgeworth said. “Yesterday, we had witness testimonies concerning both the condition and location of the defendant on the night of the crime. However, both of those testimonies failed to account for a crucial amount of time during the window of discovery to arrest, and brought up inconsistent evidence, leaving the court to doubt Mr. Naegi’s guilt. The prosecution has called upon a witness who believes she saw the defendant on the night of the crime, to help us shed light on the case.” Edgeworth gestured to the witness stand. “The prosecution calls Miss Celeste to the stand.” 

Celeste walked up to the witness stand, looking just as collected as Kyoko did the day before. Her expression was serene, and she remained unmoving, a far cry from Kiyotaka’s nerves. She held a cup of tea in her hands. 

“Will the witness please state her name and grade in school for the court?” Edgeworth asked. 

Celeste merely sighed and took a sip of her tea, disregarding Edgeworth entirely. She’s seeing how much she can get away with right off the bat, Phoenix thought. Mia, seemingly noting the same thing, frowned as well. 

“Witness, name.” Edgeworth tried again. Nothing. “Name! Now!” Edgeworth slammed on the desk. It probably wasn’t good that Celeste had already gotten under his skin. 

“Ah!” Celeste perked up, finally looking up from her tea. “My apologies, good sir, but I’m afraid I am still getting my bearings. This courtroom is quite overwhelming to me, and I am merely nervous.” Celeste gave the court a polite curtsy. “I am Celeste, and I am in my final year of Hope’s Peak Academy.” 

“Oh, don’t be nervous, young lady!” the Judge said, giving Celeste a kind smile. “I was actually nervous too on my first day as a judge, but you’ll get used to it in no time! You introduced yourself quite well!” 

“Thank you, Your Honor.” Celeste gave the Judge a small smile. “I am glad to have found a friend in a kind man like yourself. You are certainly kinder to me than these attorneys will be.” 

“Oh ho ho! Think nothing of it, young lady!” The Judge laughed, clearly flattered by Celeste. 

“She’s already wrapping the Judge around her finger, Phoenix.” Mia said, crossing her arms. “She’s going for the fake innocence route… which wasn’t what I’d expected. I thought she'd go for the route of acting overly refined… though that may just be coming later.” 

“She’s probably adjusting her style to fit what the Judge would respond to,” Phoenix noted. “She’s used to sizing people up, and she saw him in court yesterday.” 

Mia smiled. “That’s a good observation, Phoenix. I don’t think Celestia gives you enough credit.” 

Edgeworth, for his part, was already sporting a grimace. He seems to at least have an idea of the real Celeste, Phoenix reasoned. Hopefully, that means Edgeworth will allow me to question her more, he thought. 

“Now, Miss Celeste, your testimony, please.” Edgeworth said, maintaining a civil tone. 

“Ah, you are already far more behaved,” Celeste said, giving Edgeworth a smile, as the latter grit his teeth at her remark. “I shall try my best.” 

“Yes, Mr. Edgeworth. You are already more polite!” The Judge said.

“Thank you, Your Honor.” Edgeworth said, doing his best to ignore Celeste’s mockery. “Now, witness, your testimony concering the night of the murder.” 

“Yes,” Celeste placed a hand under her chin. “I was with two of my classmates, Mr. Yamada and Ms. Enoshima on the night in question. We went to the media room around 9:00 PM. We were playing cards and watching the television show they like. The  _ Warriors of Hope vs. Despair  _ one. I left the room for a while to make some tea. While I was waiting for the water to boil, I saw Makoto throwing something away. I believe that was his opportunity to hide the evidence of his heinous crime.” 

That’s it? Phoenix thought incredulously. Seriously?! 

“Miss Celeste, I believe that you’ve solved this case. We now have proof that Mr. Naegi did attempt to hide evidence!” the Judge said. 

“Your Honor,” Edgeworth said. “You do realize that the defense must still cross-examine the witness, correct?” 

“Mr. Edgeworth, I do not believe it is your job to say that,” Celeste said, offering him a patronizing smile. 

“It’s my job to help this trial proceed fairly.” Edgeworth shot back, and Celeste’s smile dropped. She probably realized that Edgeworth wouldn’t go easy on her, Phoenix reasoned. Still, she didn’t lose her cool outright. 

“Very well then,” the Judge said, overlooking the subtle change in Celeste. “Mr. Wright, you may proceed with your cross-examination.” 

“Wait!” Edgeworth said. “ I have a question to ask of the witness before we proceed. Celeste, can you point out on this map where exactly you were in relation to the crime scene? It was unclear in your testimony.” He took out the layout of Hope’s Peak and offered it to Celeste.

“Of course, Mr. Edgeworth.” Celeste pointed to the cafeteria, then traced a path with her ring-adorned finger to Hiro’s room. “As you can see, these places are not far, as they are on the same floor and are minutes apart. Makoto would have time to traverse there and back with little resistance.” 

“They do appear to be close enough for the seven minute window mentioned in yesterday’s trial,” Edgeworth noted. “That is all.” 

“Well… that was illuminating,” the Judge said, still looking confused. “Mr. Wright, you may now proceed with the cross-examination.” 

“You can do it, Phoenix,” Mia said, her expression determined. “Her testimony was vague, if you press her enough, I’m confident she’ll let something slip, and then we’ll pin her with the evidence.” 

Phoenix nodded, then turned his gaze to Celeste. “You said you left the room to make tea? Why did you? Normally, wouldn’t you have H-Mr. Yamada make the tea for you?” 

Celeste sighed, shaking her head. “That hardly seems relevant, sir.” 

“Answer the question,” Phoenix said, not letting up. “From what I, and others in your class have observed, you treat Mr. Yamada like a manservant, having him make you tea and carry your things. In fact,” Phoenix gestured to the benches, “He’s holding a teapot identical to your cup right now! Why, on the night of the murder of all nights, would you suddenly change that?” 

“That does seem like a rather unfortunate coincidence,” the Judge said. 

“Do not paint this picture, Wright,” Celeste’s tone had shifted, it still sounded polite, but there were visible points of venom in her words. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Phoenix. “I am not some petty criminal. I merely wanted a reprieve from that awful show with the bear and rabbit that my companions insisted on watching. It isn’t even interesting, there is so much slapstick, it’s gross. Besides, I knew that show would distract Yamada from making quality tea. I merely took matters into my own hands at an unfortunate moment.” 

“At around what time would you say you left to make the tea?” Phoenix questioned, deciding to go another route. 

“Around 9:20 PM,” Celeste said. 

“Were you in the cafeteria until the police arrived? By yourself?” Phoenix crossed his arms. “I believe that would call your alibi into question, and that also means you could’ve tampered with the trash-” 

“-why would I sully myself by digging around in garbage?” Celeste glared at Phoenix. “I have an alibi. Mr. Yamada and Ms. Enoshima can attest to my return to our game.” 

“That’s not a wise thing to say, Celeste,” Phoenix said, crossing his arms. “You wouldn’t want to drag them down in your lies.” 

“You really are accusing me of lying?” Celeste giggled. “Oh, how desperate you look, covering for a murderer!” 

“TAKE THAT!” Phoenix took out the photos Hifumi had given him. “These,” he explained, “Are photos taken by Mr. Yamada using his, uh, limited edition Princess Piggles Camera. These photos show who was at the card game that night, and they’re timestamped as well. Celeste, after 9:30, you don’t show up in any photos at all! You didn’t return to the media room at all, meaning your alibi is completely nonexistent. Not only that, you just blatantly lied, putting your reliability as a witness into question!” 

Celeste, instead of getting angry, merely laughed. “Oh, is that all you have to show me? I must say, you are rather pathetic in your attempts to slander me. It hurts my feelings.” 

“Mr. Wright, if you cannot prove your bold accusation, I’m afraid I’ll have to penalize you,” the Judge said. “It is quite insolent of you to accost this polite young lady.” It appears Celeste even influenced the Judge’s vocabulary, Phoenix noted. Still, he wasn’t about to give up. 

He looked up at the defendant’s chair, and Makoto looked like he was deep in thought. His expression lit up, and he caught Phoenix’s eye. He mimed a pair of rabbit ears, and Phoenix’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. However, Mia grinned and nodded at Makoto. 

“He’s got the right idea, Phoenix.” Mia said, giving Makoto a fond look. “He knows he can’t yell out and risk a penalty, but he’s on the right track. We’ve got to talk about that show.” 

Phoenix crossed his arms. He saw the Judge’s expression of impatience, Edgeworth gave him a rather concerned look, and Celeste’s aura radiated with smugness. What could Makoto want him to say-that’s it!

“Celesle,” Phoenix said, shaking his head with a slight grin. “If you really did return to the media room like you said, and were lucky enough not to get caught on camera again, can you answer a simple question?” 

“I believe I can answer any question you throw at me, despite whatever hideous accusations that you will attach to it.” Celeste stared directly at Phoenix, like if she looked hard enough, he’d die on the spot. 

“Then you should ace this,” Phoenix said. “How did the show you and your friends were watching end? If you were there, you should know.” 

“I wasn’t even watching,” Celeste said. “I know nothing about it.” 

“That’s rather contradictory to your earlier testimony,” Phoenix said, shaking his head. “You referred to the show by name, and you knew the two main characters are a bear and a rabbit. Plus, you even know that one of the main features of  _ Warriors of Hope vs. Despair  _ is it’s pointless slapstick comedy!” 

“That is rather odd,” the Judge said. “Miss Celeste-” 

“-Oh! Oh my!” Celeste said, placing a hand over her mouth in a pseudo-gasp. “I believe I do remember something. The excitement of this trial and the events of the evening made it slip my mind. I do believe that the bear overtook the rabbit, and the episode ends with the rabbit getting repainted to match the bear.” 

“No, that isn’t how it ends,” Edgeworth said. Phoenix nearly laughed in relief, Edgeworth’s love of the truth and children’s television was combining in the best possible way. Edgeworth glared at Celeste. “That’s only the midpoint of the episode, since this was a special. You left at around 9:20, which would be around that time. If you’d returned, you’d know Usami triumphs at the end, despite getting repainted. You lied, Miss Celeste.” 

“Wh-wh-” Celeste glared at Edgeworth. “WHY ARE YOU QUESTIONING ME?!” She yelled, giving Edgeworth a death glare. “YOU’RE THE FUCKING PROSECUTOR! I’M YOUR WITNESS!” Her voice lost it’s refined and polite tone, instead sounding rough and furious.

“Miss Celeste!” the Judge gasped. “W-what happened to you?” 

“Your Honor,” Celeste said, her voice wobbly and contradictory, a false politeness clashing with a bubbling fury. “I do believe I am being ganged up on by an incompetent defense attorney and a prosecutor who doesn’t know how to STAY IN HIS FUCKING LANE!” 

“I’m here to expose the truth, Miss Celeste,” Edgeworth said, staring down Celeste, not losing his nerve in the slightest. “I let you testify because I believed that you would speak the truth, despite your reputation. I wanted to give you the time of day as a witness. However, if you are going to abuse that power, then I will call you out on it. Sides be damned.” 

Celeste glowered at Edgeworth, seemingly at a loss. Phoenix felt a sense of relief wash over him, at least he knew Edgeworth was willing to expose a lie when he saw it, Phoenix reasoned. Maybe he’d have to start actually watching  _ Warriors of Hope vs. Despair  _ now. Mia gave Phoenix a reassuring nod, and he saw Makoto give him a thumbs up. Pressing the show was a good plan, Phoenix admitted.

“Man, Mr. Edgeworth totally spoiled the episode,” Phoenix heard Maya complaining from the stands. “I haven’t even gotten to watch it yet.” 

“ ‘S pretty good,” a sleepy Chihiro said, having seemingly been jolted awake by Celeste’s yelling. “I watched it too. Guess Celeste didn’t.” 

“Of course she fucking lied,” Leon spat. “Wouldn’t expect anything less from the Queen.” 

“The Queen? Whaddya mean pal?” Detective Gumshoe asked from a few rows down. 

“Means she’s called the Queen of Liars, pal.” Junko answered, before Leon could. “If Mr. Edgeworth even knew that, I doubt he’d have let her touch the stand.” 

Kyoko sighed. “He has a commitment to hear out all potential witnesses, even if they have reputations. Why do you think Celeste didn’t say her ultimate talent like Kiyotaka and I did? It would’ve put her at a disadvantage with the Judge.” 

“That’s a real bright observation, pal!” 

“That is rather shrewd,” Franziska noted. 

“Makoto’s got a chance!” Komaru said, giving her brother a nod. 

“Phoenix, this is great,” Mia said. “She’s lost her composure once, and there’s no taking that back. The court has seen her real personality, and that’s going to shake her. We just have to tie her to the crime.” 

“Order, order!” the Judge slammed his gavel. “Miss Celeste, do you have an explanation for this? And… please no more shouting.” 

“Hehehe,” Celeste giggled, having seemingly gained her composure. “I am deeply sorry. I am afraid I have truly made a mess of things. I thank you for your patience, Your Honor. I assure you, I have an explanation for all.” 

“Let’s hear your explanation, then.” Edgeworth said with a frown. 

“Of course,” Celeste curtsied and took a sip of tea, as if the whole court hadn’t seen her lose her mind a few moments ago. “I was reluctant to admit my absence, as I was afraid I would be accused of the crime. That is also why I was so nervous to speak up about my sighting before yesterday. I believed that justice would be served yesterday with the testimony of Ishimaru, but he couldn’t be relied upon. I decided to take it upon myself to avenge poor Hagakure’s memory and convict his killer.” 

“Oh, that does sound noble,” the Judge said, nodding. “It appears this young lady felt pressured into lying.”

Do you have amnesia, Your Honor?! Phoenix wanted to shake him, to remind him of Celeste’s meltdown literal minutes before. He shivered as Celeste gave him a smile that was so devoid of any real warmth, it chilled him to the bone.

“That was nauseatingly fake,” Mia said, taking a sip of the tea Celeste had given her. “Luckily, we should be able to corner her. You’ve got the ammunition, Phoenix.” 

“The defense asserts that this witness’s reasoning is a blatant lie!” Phoenix said, slamming his hands on the desk. “This witness would have no reason to fear being accused unless she had some tie to the crime, and we were able to find evidence connecting her to the crime,” Phoenix cried, pointing at Celeste. 

“I fear there is no such piece of evidence,” Celeste said. “You surprise me with your lunacy, Mr. Wright. Do you really hate me that much? I just wanted to help.” She crossed her arms and looked down at the floor, in a show of false helplessness. 

“Wright, just what is this evidence?” Edgeworth questioned. 

“Yes, please show the court what this polite young lady could possibly have that connects her to the crime?” the Judge questioned. 

“TAKE THAT!” Phoenix produced the Three of Swords and laid it out for the courtroom to see. Celeste’s eyes widened. “This is the three of swords,” he said. “It’s a tarot card, and it was part of a deck belonging to the victim.” Phoenix got out the tarot deck, and the book. “This book contains the complete guide to the tarot deck, and its cards. Inside, the cards in this deck, that was found in the victim’s room-” he gestured to the deck, “-were marked off in the book.” He opened the book to the page Leon had marked yesterday. “Now, you’ll notice there are two unmarked cards. One being the separated justice card found in the room, and this card.” Phoenix glared at Celeste. “This card was found in the room of this very witness! Why would she have it, unless she stole it? She wanted a memento of the crime she's committed!”

“YOU!” Celeste howled, turning to Mia, her whole body rigid with rage. “YOU STOLE FROM ME!” 

“And you stole that card from the victim,” Mia said, facing Celeste with a calm air. In fact, Mia had a grin on her face. She crossed her arms and shook her head. “You wanted to battle us in court, because you thought we wouldn’t be able to gather new evidence that way, hm?” Mia continued on, despite Celeste’s growing rage. “It’s risk and reward, after all. Being the ultimate gambler, you thought the risk of being in a public forum was worth the reward of having us not be able to talk to other parties or gather evidence. However, you failed to account for the fact that we’d catch you in your lies, and you’d have no way out!” 

“You’re the ultimate gambler?” the Judge raised an eyebrow. “Wait, doesn’t that mean you are a natural liar?” 

“It would,” Edgeworth grimaced. “I believe she deceived me as well.” He glared at Celeste. “The lies will end here, though. The court will not be fooled by you, Celeste.” 

“Mia Fey,” Celeste spat, not once turning away from Mia. “You don’t know everything! You don’t! NO!” Celeste turned and glared. “I have no motive! NONE! I had nothing against Makoto,” she gestured towards Makoto, “and I certainly have nothing to do with Hagakure-” 

“-OBJECTION!” Phoenix shook his head. “You have the card, which you made no move to deny. Plus, there is something that you and the victim share, something you don’t like.” Phoenix turned to the courtroom. “Now then, what was the first thing you said in your testimony?”

“Wright,” Edgeworth said. “Her first words were an introduction. An apology, and her name.” 

“Exactly,” Phoenix nodded. “Her very first words in this courtroom were a lie. Celeste isn’t her real name.” 

“What?!” Edgeworth was taken aback. “Why would she lie about something so trivial?” 

“She’s lied about everything else so far,” Phoenix said. “This would just be another lie. However, it’s an important lie-” 

“-My name is Celestia Lundenberg.” Celeste said desperately. “I wish to go by Celeste, hence my reluctance to tell you anything besides Celeste when introducing myself. My apologies.” 

“What does a name like Celestia Lundenberg have to do with the victim?” the Judge asked. “I’m quite confused.” 

“That’s because Celeste is still lying. Or should I say, Taeko is still lying.” Phoenix smirked, slamming his hands on the desk. “This witness's real name is Taeko Yasuhiro, a name she shares with the victim!” 

“MY NAME IS CELESTIA LUDENBERG, GODDAMMIT!” Celeste growled, her face awash in fury. 

Suddenly, Celeste took the teacup she was holding and hurled it at Phoenix with all her might. Phoenix barely managed to dodge, the teacup shattering against the wall behind him, barely missing poor Komaru in the splashback. He could feel the hot flecks of tea splash against his suit, and Mia winced as well, the tea had hit her unprotected arms. 

“That cost so much money,” Hifumi whined from the stands. “I’m never gonna get that back.” 

“What a waste of a perfectly good cup,” Byakuya muttered. “She’s really embarrassing herself up there.” 

“Are you okay?” Mukuro asked Komaru, who nodded. 

Makoto’s eyes were wide, and he looked at Mia with worry. Mia gave him a small smile, as if to say she’d be okay. Despite his earlier assist, Phoenix could tell Makoto was still aching to help, and he probably felt bad that his former friend had just launched a teacup at them.

“Heh,” Mia laughed. “I did talk about Diego with her. I guess she got some ideas from him.” 

“It was never this bad!” Phoenix protested.

The Judge’s eyes were wide as he pounded his gavel. “Miss Yasuhiro-” 

“-Don’t you dare! Don’t call me by that lowborn name, you decrepit old IMBECILE!” Celeste turned to the Judge with anger. She wasn’t even bothering with her polite tone anymore. Her twin drills were flaring, and her appearance was beginning to become disheveled. “I am Celestia Lundenberg!” She tried to regain her original tone, but failed. “There is nothing that says otherwise!” 

“I’m sorry, but you’re wrong,” Phoenix said, shaking his head with a grin. “I have evidence here,” Phoenix took out Hifumi’s camera. 

“The pictures of the murder?” Edgeworth questioned. 

“No,” Phoenix said. “There’s another picture I took yesterday. It was a photo of the witness’s handbook, which contains all of a student’s information. That information includes their vitals, gender, appearance, and of course, their names. And if you’ll look here,” Phoenix pointed at the picture, “Her name is listed as Taeko Yasuhiro, her real name!”

Celeste grit her teeth, and drew back in shock. She looked into the stands, and made eye contact with Hifumi, who quickly tried to look away and clutched his backpack. Her eyebrows raised with realization, and she took a deep breath. 

“Hifumi,” she growled. “He failed to inform me…” she sighed, and faced Phoenix. “I fail to see how my true name proves anything.” 

Phoenix knew that wasn’t true. When he’d told Mia the truth, she’d laughed and exclaimed: “ _ It all makes sense Phoenix! She wants so badly to be Celeste, Celestia, it fits too well! Her name fit her demeanor like a glove, as if she’d been named in the world’s luckiest coincidence. No name fits that well unless it is chosen, like a pet’s! Yasuhiro, of course! It’s ordinary, plain, and Celestia can’t have that. It goes against everything she is!” _

Phoenix snapped back to the present. “You hate your name,” he said. “That’s why you go by Celeste, and that’s why you’d have a motive to kill Yasuhiro. His name alone is a reminder of everything you tried so hard to avoid by renaming yourself. As long as he’s around, he’s a reminder of who you really are.” 

Celeste glowered at Phoenix, but she did something rather unexpected. She merely nodded. “I fold,” she sighed. “I underestimated your tenacity, Mr. Wright. I underestimated your ability to sway my underling, your deductive ability, and even Miss Mia. I failed to see her swipe the card from under me. I will admit, I see Yasuhiro as a fool, his name does grate on me.” She ignored the audible growl coming from Hiroko’s side of the bench and continued. “However, you are wrong. You still lose. I did not commit this murder, and I did see Makoto. The card… I am not sure how it arrived in my possession, but once I found it the morning after Yasuhiro was murdered, I was afraid of disposing of it until after the trial had concluded, as I didn’t want to get framed. However, when your questioning began, and you questioned my alibi, I decided I had to come forward, to avoid getting implicated. I merely was outwilled… as much as I loathe to admit it.” 

Phoenix froze. Wait, what? He thought he’d gotten Celeste for sure, and in a way, he had. However, she hadn’t admitted to the crime. Instead, that was the one thing she hadn’t admitted to. 

Edgeworth sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Please, witness. The truth. For once.” 

Celeste nodded. “I’ll say what I saw.” She sighed, clearly exhausted from yelling. “I did leave the media room around 9:20, and went to the cafeteria to make tea. I went to throw out the milk carton. I did, and I saw Makoto on my way back to the tea. He lifted my carton and placed something silver and bloodied under it.” 

“Mr. Wright, do you still wish to cross-examine Miss Yasuhiro-” Celeste glared at the Judge, still having enough malice to scare him into sweating. “-I mean, Miss Celeste,” the Judge sighed. 

Phoenix nodded. “Celeste, you said you saw Makoto. How did you know it was him?” 

“Simple,” Celeste said. “I saw his familiar hoodie.” 

“So you didn’t actually see his face?” 

“No, but he was wearing that hoodie, correct? That was established yesterday, from the testimony of Kirigiri,” Celeste gestured to Kyoko, who gave Celeste a stony look. “It makes sense that it was him.” Celeste rolled her eyes. “Please, don’t give me those looks. I have no more lies.” 

Damn it! One of the most important points of Celeste’s testimony still stood. Edgeworth’s eyes narrowed as well, as this actually lends some credence to his case. This testimony hasn’t been a dead end, at least for him. 

“There have to be some contradictions,” Mia said. “Celeste lies so often, there has to be something else.” 

Phoenix nodded. “Celeste, you said you were in the cafeteria, yet this milk carton,” Phoenix held up the carton he’d found in the garbage yesterday. “This was found in the gymnasium trash can. You left the cafeteria!” 

“Oh!” Celeste put a hand to her mouth. “Pardon moi, I appear to have omitted details again. I do apologize, I am accustomed to it. It is how I live.” She giggled, though no one else looked amused. “I left the cafeteria to put the milk carton in the gymnasium trash can, as the cafeteria can was overflowing, and I don’t touch garbage. On my way back to the cafeteria, I saw Makoto. There was no one around the gymnasium at all, I’m sure.” 

“Wait, what time did you see Makoto, if it even was him?” Phoenix asked. 

Celeste merely shook her head. “I am not Ishimaru, I am not obsessed with time. I do not know for certain.” 

“This proves it may not have been Makoto!” Phoenix said. “This time could have still been during the crime! Or even before! Besides, the knife was still at the crime scene, and the silver being disposed of was a weapon. Why wouldn’t he get rid of the knife?” 

“Maybe so, but,” Edgeworth countered. “We have no way of saying that it wasn’t during the seven minute window as well, Wright. Besides, he could’ve been getting rid of a second weapon, maybe meaning to get the knife on a return trip, but was forced to stay in the room, as his window of time was closed.” 

“That still doesn’t explain why he couldn’t just carry the knife as well!” Phoenix said. “These scissors-” he showed off the scissors. “-Were found in the garbage, with blood residue on them. These were a weapon no doubt. However, if someone was around in the gym after the crime, Makoto wouldn’t have gone at all-”

“Miss Celeste’s testimony said that there was no one around that she could see!” Edgeworth said, crossing his arms. “There would’ve been no reason for Makoto to avoid the gym, unless our timetable is incorrect.” Edgeworth’s eyebrows furrowed. 

“Actually, there is someone else who went by the gym a bit later, that can confirm they saw Makoto.” Phoenix said. “If Your Honor would allow it, the defense would like to request the prosecution call another witness.” 

“Mr. Edgeworth, is this alright with you?” the Judge asked. “If we call another witness, I’d like to hear their testimony right away! You’d have to prepare them in our recess!” 

Edgeworth nodded. “If it will help, I will take on another witness. Maybe we can figure out our times. Hopefully, this one won’t be a chronic liar.” Edgeworth gave Celeste a small glare, and Celeste returned it. “Make your choice, Wright.” 

Phoenix turned towards the stands. He felt a stab of guilt, but he needed her testimony. In fact, he needed both of their testimonies. He locked eyes with her, and she trembled, shaking her head desperately. 

“The defense requests that Toko Fukawa be subpoenaed and called to the stand!” Phoenix said, pointing towards Toko, who was clutching at her sides, already beginning to panic as eyes turned towards her. “The defense has reason to believe she can provide vital testimony concerning the accusations made by Miss Celeste!” 

Edgeworth nodded. “Miss Fukawa will be prepped during recess.” 

“Very well,” the Judge nodded. “We will take a ten-minute recess, then we will reconvene for the testimony of Miss Fukawa! Court is adjourned!” The Judge hit his gavel as Toko’s cries of dread could already be heard throughout the courtroom, and the rest of the class was staring at her, whispering. 

Byakuya gave Phoenix a slight nod, disregarding Toko gripping his arm in fear. At the very least, Komaru looked to feel a bit bad for her, trying to catch her gaze, but Toko was too panicked to notice. Phoenix saw the inevitable betrayal and hurt in her eyes, and he felt awful. Sorry Toko, he thought. He looked at Makoto, who offered him a sympathetic glance. This is for Makoto, Phoenix reminded himself. Still, he knew what he was going to have to put Toko through, and he wasn’t going to enjoy it one bit. 

******************************************************************************

May 2nd, 11:30 PM

District Court

Defendant Lobby No. 2

“Holy shit, you had those scissors the whole time?!” Leon glared at Phoenix, before turning his gaze to Toko, who shrank back. “You fucking did this, didn’t you?! You psychotic-”

“N-no! I-I didn’t-” Toko cowered. “Y-you l-lied to me, y-you promised!” Toko said, glaring at Phoenix. She trembled, which didn’t make Phoenix feel any better about what he’d done. 

“Wait, you talked to her?! You knew?!” Leon turned back to Phoenix. The rest of the class was watching this exchange, even Celeste, seemingly about to get away with her blatant lies in the face of this new development.

“-Stop, now. Your yelling isn’t helping.” Kyoko said, coming up to the group. “Toko,” she said. “You need to come with us. Please. Prosecutor Edgeworth has to prepare you.” 

Toko frantically shook her head. 

“Please, if you can help my brother, you have to testify!” Komaru pleaded. “I believe in you!” 

“I-I don’t e-even know y-you!” Toko cried. “Y-you just believe b-because you don’t know m-me-” 

“I believe in you too, Toko,” Makoto stepped forward. “I don’t think you did it. Just answer what’s asked, and you’ll be fine.” He gave her a knowing look. 

Kyoko furrowed her eyebrows, but she looked at Makoto with fondness. He’s still trying to hold the class together, to get them back on the same page, Phoenix noted. He wondered if he was worried about the new split in seating as well. Knowing Makoto, he’d at least noticed. 

“Just go, Toko,” Byakuya said. “I’ll walk you over, if it’ll get me away from this squabbling, and these loud idiots,” Byakuya cast an aside glare at Leon.

Toko nodded, clutching his arm, despite his notable grimace. They walked over to where Edgeworth, Franziska, and Gumshoe were waiting. Franziska said something to Edgeworth, and he sighed, placing his head in his hands. Knowing her, she was probably already giving him a hard time for Celeste’s testimony. Poor Edgeworth, Phoenix thought. 

“I’ll head over too,” Kyoko said, her notebook in hand. 

“You take really detailed notes,” Maya pointed out, her mouth half full with donut. 

“They’re to help me keep track of events, and keep my father informed as well. He’s busy trying to assure parents, and manage the media in school, so I took it upon myself to write these notes for him. I usually give my notebook to him after the trial, and pick it back up when he’s done reading it.” Kyoko closed her notebook and walked away. 

“I almost forgot about the headmaster,” Chihiro yawned. “He’s probably really upset. I feel bad.” 

“So, you guys found Toko’s scissors, and you didn’t even warn us?!” Leon said again. “She could kill any of us!” 

“We don’t even know that Toko had anything to do with this!” Maya protested. 

“Oh, I am afraid it must be likely, after all, they are her weapon of choice,” Celeste piped up. She walked over to the group. Hifumi trailed behind, still keeping his distance. Phoenix was surprised Celeste hadn’t attacked him yet. 

“You’ve got some fuckin’ nerve runnin’ your mouth after the shit ya pulled,” Mondo said, glaring at Celeste. 

“Let’s not devolve into an argument,” Mia said, keeping a cool head. “For the sake of the case, we need you guys to cooperate with us, and each other. For Makoto’s sake.” 

“If it’s really for Makoto’s sake that we’ve got to stick together and all this bullshit, why did Celeste just try and incriminate him?!” Leon glared at Celeste, and it was clear he wasn’t alone in his animosity towards her. A large wave of disapproval was being directed at the gothic gambler. “Why’d she lie?!” 

“I was looking out for myself, it was nothing against Makoto.” Celeste turned to Makoto. “Surely you understand, don’t you?” 

“I don’t,” he admitted. “I thought we were friends.” 

“We are. Well, we are acquaintances at least. You still remain a solid c-rank in my eyes. Certainly better than Hifumi.” Celeste glared at the doujin. 

“Then why did you lie about the fact that you saw me?” Makoto’s eyebrows furrowed. 

“I didn’t,” Celeste said. “I really did see that hooded person there, and I believed it was you.” 

“Yeah, right.” Komaru glared. “You’ve got the card, and you’re the Queen of Liars-” 

“-She’s telling the truth,” Mia said, and everyone turned to her in shock. “I believe her. If she were lying, her body language would be different. Her voice has that rough quality it gets when she’s telling the truth.” 

“You all have misjudged me,” Celeste preened. “Miss Mia is the most intelligent among you. It is no wonder I deemed us of a similar ilk.”

“You can have this back,” Mia handed Celeste her teacup. “To replace the one you threw at us. However, I can’t say anyone truly misjudged you. You view this as a game, when the life of your classmate is at stake, and disrespect the memory of a dead man.” Mia glared at Celeste. “We are not alike. You’re a despicable liar, and a rotten cheat.” 

Celeste’s look soured, and she merely focused on twirling a lock of her hair. “Oh, well. That is your opinion. If I were to stop lying, I would cease to function. After all, lying is like oxygen to me. I need it to live and thrive, and without it I would surely die. You wouldn’t want that, right?” Celeste turned and walked away, Hifumi following, offering her more tea.

“Don’t tempt me,” Maya muttered. “You showed her, sis.” 

“That did feel good,” Mia admitted. 

“You haven’t even touched one donut!” Hina gasped, pointing to the untouched box in Mia’s hands. 

She was attempting to lighten the mood, Phoenix noted. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to work, as anger and hurt permeated the lobby. Toko’s look of betrayal, Leon’s outburst, the mere presence of Celeste, the looming anger of Hiroko (despite the fact that Officer Ishimaru succeeded in keeping her separated from Makoto, she was still glaring daggers at the group), had succeeded in dragging down the class. 

“Here,” Mia held out the box. “You all seem like you could use these more than me-actually,” Mia reached and took out a donut, and offered it to Makoto. “You deserve this the most, Makoto. You really helped out. Besides… this isn’t going to get easier.” Mia smiled as Makoto took a donut, and ripped it in half. 

“You should at least get half,” he said. 

Mia acquiesced, and the two ate their halves of the donut. Mia handed the box to Hina. “You all should eat the rest. Thank you, though. That was delicious.” 

Hina nodded and took back the box, though it didn’t have quite the desired effect. Hina, Maya, Chihiro, Mondo, Kiyotaka (who’d already begun to chastise the group about processed foods) and Sakura all were around the box, but no one else joined. Leon had stormed off somewhere else, and Sayaka had stuck with them, opting to look at Mukuro, who was standing by Junko. The fashionista made no move to join the group. Instead, she was whispering with her sister and pointing towards Toko and Byakuya. Celeste and Hifumi were obviously separated in their own island as well, Hifumi desperately trying to atone for betraying her. The pit of dread that was in Phoenix’s stomach at first seeing the courtroom split began to grow. 

“It’s a class divided,” Mia noted. Her face fell, and she crossed her arms. 

“This isn’t good,” Makoto said. “This is the last thing I wanted to happen. Everyone needs to stick together.” 

“Why?” Sayaka sighed, the first real time she’d questioned Makoto. “Mia’s right. We’re too divided. We’re starting to distrust each other a-and maybe there’s a reason for that. Maybe we should be doubting each other. Because if it’s not you…” 

“Don’t say that, please,” Makoto pleaded, looking at Sayaka. “You’ve got to try, for me.” 

Sayaka sighed, before giving Makoto a hug. “I-I will.” Her voice wobbled, and it was clear she was trying to make Makoto feel better, but she didn’t believe in what she’d promised. Makoto’s shoulders slumped, despite Sayaka giving him a wobbly smile. 

The bailiff began to call everyone back in; Komaru and Sayaka left the group, joining the others by the donut box. Hiroko and Officer Ishimaru headed in, and Hiroko’s glare finally left Makoto for a brief moment, to focus on Celeste. She had called Yasuhiro a fool, Phoenix reasoned. 

“Well, time to get back in there,” Makoto said. “You guys have no idea how much I wanted to say something.” 

“Oh, we have an idea,” Phoenix said. “Everytime I looked over at you, you looked like you were about to leap out of your chair.” 

“Keep your head up,” Mia said. “There’s a lot we don’t know about timing, and Celeste didn’t see your face, so that’s a plus. We’ve got hope.”

“Yeah, we do.” Makoto said. He glanced towards the benches as they walked in. “I just don’t know what to do about them.” Makoto’s voice cracked slightly, and Phoenix hadn’t heard that sort of uncertainty before, as if Makoto was wrestling with something. 

Before Phoenix could ask him what he’d meant, or grill him further, he was taken away by the bailiff. Phoenix could practically see the psyche-lock in front of Makoto, and the fragile hope he had was crushed by the fact that even his own defendant was still hiding something. Mia placed a hand on his shoulder, but that feeling of dread was stronger than ever.

******************************************************************************

May 2nd, 11:40 AM

District Court

Courtroom No. 3

Phoenix looked towards the stands. The same split was still there, though notably, Celeste had joined the row with Mukuro, Junko, and Hifumi. Leon and Sayaka had swapped places, Leon glaring at Celeste from his new seat on the end of the row, scooting away from the others. Byakuya at least looked happier to not have Toko sitting by him anymore. Phoenix noted a crunching under his feet, and he realized there were still shards lying around from the teacup Celeste had thrown.

“Court is back in session for the trial of Makoto Naegi,” the Judge said. 

“The witness is present, though… '' Edgeworth paused, and grimaced, gesturing to Toko, who was shaking and clutching her uniform in terror. “I am not sure about this witness, Your Honor. She is quite… neurotic.” 

“Neurotic?” the Judge looked at Toko. “She does appear to be rather upset-” 

“-D-don’t stare a-at m-me, y-you creepy o-old p-pervert!” Toko stuttered, glaring at the Judge. 

“I didn't mean to scare you,” the Judge looked away from Toko, staring at the ceiling. “I um, see what you mean, Mr. Edgeworth.” 

“Y-you all a-already h-hate me, y-you all t-think I’m u-ugly a-and stupid, a-and you’re g-going t-to yell a-at me! J-just l-like with Celeste, a-and I-I’m g-going t-t-to-” 

“-Witness!” Edgeworth slammed a hand on his desk, startling Toko into silence. “I can assure you, as long as you have not committed this crime, and you answer us truthfully, you will not be looked upon unfavorably. I will personally make sure Wright does not yell at you… and I can assure you this court doesn’t think you’re ugly. We do not judge witnesses by their appearances.” 

Toko’s nervous shaking subsided, and she looked at Edgeworth as a blush spread across her face. “T-thank y-you,” she sighed, looking at Edgeworth. Suddenly, Phoenix felt very bad for Edgeworth. 

“Witness, please state your name and grade in school, and your ultimate talent.” Edgeworth said. 

“I-I’m Toko Fukawa, t-the ultimate w-writing p-prodigy,” Toko said. “I-I write r-romance,” she said, looking at Edgeworth with her face in her hands, the blush growing. 

Edgeworth grimaced, undoubtedly seeing where this was going. “Witness, please state where you were on the night of the murder.” Edgeworth was probably desperate to nip this bizarre attraction in the bud, Phoenix reasoned. Oldbag was enough for him to deal with. 

“I-I was f-following m-master w-when I-I lost h-him-” 

“Master?” the Judge raised an eyebrow, interrupting the testimony. “Who’s that?” 

“B-byakuya,” Toko sighed dreamily, pointing towards Byakuya in the stands, who rolled his eyes. “H-he’s the o-only o-one here m-more handsome than P-prosecutor E-edgeworth.” 

Edgeworth put his head in his hands and sighed, and Phoenix could hear Franziska snickering from the stands. Byakuya, for his part, looked rather exasperated as well. Mia gave Phoenix a look, clearly questioning his choice of witnesses. 

“Well, I am very sorry I asked,” the Judge said, shaking his head. “Please, continue.” 

“D-don’t l-look at m-me like t-that!” Toko snapped. “A-anyway, M-master h-had eluded m-me, a-and that’s w-when I b-began to s-search. I-I went d-down t-the h-hall on the f-first f-floor, and w-went b-by the g-gym on m-my way t-to t-the d-dorms… w-when I-I passed o-out. I-I saw something w-with b-black a-and white a-and…” Toko clutched at her braids. “I-I can’t r-remember!” 

“Wright,” Edgeworth glared at Phoenix. “What is this? This is nothing! Makoto isn’t even mentioned!” 

“N-no!” Toko cried out, “I-I’m not u-useless!” She held her head in her hands. “I-I remember… a h-hoodie! I-it was c-covered i-in b-blood, a-and the b-black and white…” 

“That sounds like Makoto,” Edgeworth frowned. “That would mean he made his way past Ms. Fukawa to the gym where Miss Yasuhiro was-” Celeste growled from the stands, but Edgeworth took no notice. “-and that was his path. Wright, this just incriminates Makoto more!” 

“I don’t get it Phoenix,” Mia frowned. “This is bad for us.” 

“I still get to cross-examine!” Phoenix said. He’d heard Toko’s story, and he knew there was more left to prove. There was a reason he did this. He looked towards Makoto, who nodded. He trusted him, Phoenix thought. It put more pressure on him, but it was reassuring as well. 

“Very well, Mr. Wright, you may cross-examine the witness!” the Judge nodded. 

“Toko, when you saw the hooded figure, what time was it?” Phoenix asked. 

“I-I don’t k-know!” Toko said, glaring at him and crossing her arms. “I-I don’t know! I-I j-just w-wanted to find m-master!” 

Phoenix sighed. “When you saw the hooded figure, where exactly was the blood on the hoodie?” 

“E-everywhere!” Toko shuddered. She looked up at Makoto, as if she were trying to visualize the hoodie. She clutched at her head, and her glasses tilted off her face. “I-It w-was splattered e-everywhere!”

“That’s contradictory!” Phoenix said, slamming his desk. “If we can recall what the defendant’s hoodie looked like based on testimony, it had blood on it, but that blood was largely concentrated around the sleeves! Surely, if it was Makoto that Miss Fukawa saw, she’d remember that!” 

“I-I didn’t e-even s-see h-his f-face,” Toko admitted. “I-I’d a-already b-began t-to f-faint, w-when t-the black a-and w-white w-was t-the l-last t-thing I s-saw.” 

“What was this black and white?” Edgeworth asked. 

Toko shook her head. “I-I d-don’t know, I-I don’t r-remember a-anything e-else from t-that night,” 

“That’s it?” the Judge questioned. “How could you forget so much? What new information could this testimony bring?” 

“Yes, Wright. I’d like to know that myself,” Edgeworth said. 

“That’s because Toko’s isn’t the only testimony we need,” Phoenix said. “Toko has a split personality-” Toko gasped, seeing what Phoenix was getting at. She vehemently shook her head, biting frantically at her nails. Phoenix took a breath, and continued. There was no going back. “-this split personality doesn’t share her memories, and comes out after she faints. This personality holds the answers, and it explains what happened to Toko.” 

“S-stop it!” Toko cried. “N-not h-her!” 

“What do you mean?” Edgeworth’s eyes narrowed. “This witness is clearly in distress Wright, and I don’t see how she could have a split personality that truly functions this way. How would this person even get summoned?” 

“It ties in with the case, and the timeline,” Phoenix said, his mind racing. “Toko’s other half can be summoned when she sneezes, or when she sees blood. I believe her seeing the blood on the hooded figure caused her other personality to be released for the night, hence why Toko can’t remember anything else!” 

“This is quite an unbelieveale claim, Mr. Wright,” the Judge said, his eyes wide. “Just how will you prove this?” 

“I’ll show you,” Phoenix leaned over and picked up a porcelain shard from the ground below them. He gave Mia a brief glance, and she nodded. Phoenix winced before he sliced his palm in a fluid motion, blood beginning to flow from the wound. 

Edgeworth’s eyes widened. “Wright what are you-” 

A shriek came from the witness stand, and the Judge, Edgeworth, and Mia watched in shock as Toko crumpled and fainted. 

“Miss Fukawa!” the Judge cried out in shock. 

“What is the meaning of this?” Phoenix heard Franziska shout in the stands. “What is this?” 

“Is she okay?” Komaru cried. “Someone help her!” 

“What’s going on, pal?” Detective Gumshoe anxiously turned to Kyoko. 

“Please, remain calm,” Kyoko said. “She’ll be fine.” 

“Oh, she’ll be more than fine,” Byakuya muttered. “Just you wait.” 

“What’s happening?” Maya turned to Hina, who whispered something in Maya’s ear, which made her jump back in shock. “She’s what?!” 

“Phoenix, what did you do?” Mia asked. “I know you told me about her… but how long is this going to take?” 

Edgeworth ran over to where Toko had fainted. “Miss Fukawa! Witness! Can you hear me!” 

Suddenly, she sprang up. Her reddened eyes, elongated tongue, and wide grin was proof of Phoenix’s success. Jill was here. Edgeworth jumped back in shock. 

“Oh boy!” Jill sprang up, eyeing Edgeworth with a smirk. “What a pretty sight to wake up to! What’s your name, ruffles?” 

Edgeworth ran over to his desk before Jill could corner him. “I-I’m Prosecutor Edgeworth,” he said. “W-who are you? Miss Fukawa?” 

“Kyehahaha!” Jill laughed. “You’re real lucky you’re cute, ruffles! I’m Jill, and Miss Fukawa has left the building! Thank god, right? Now, I’d wonder what you’d look like without that ruffled suit-” 

“Please-” Edgeworth tried to keep his cool, though it was obvious he was very flustered. “Miss, um, Jill-” 

“-Woah!” Jill turned towards Mia. “You’ve got some serious assets there, goddamn! You better not try to seduce your way to victory with those jugs, milkmaid!” 

Mia grimaced, crossing her arms over her chest. “Phoenix… you didn’t say she was so vulgar. You said she was scary.” 

“I guess she didn’t find me attractive enough to harass,” Phoenix sighed, half grateful, half apologetic. 

“Don’t talk about my sister like that!” Maya said from the stands. 

“Ugh, I’ve been in her shoes,” Hina sighed. “Jill says that to me too.” 

“Her conduct is quite inappropriate in a courtroom setting,” Kiyotaka said, shaking his head. 

“Oh man, Toko is going to be so embarrassed when she hears about this,” Junko snickered. 

“I feel kinda bad,” Komaru said. “I don’t think she can even control her. I don’t think you should laugh.” 

“I agree, your snickering is quite crass in itself,” Fransizka added. 

“She’s freaking me out, pal!” Detective Gumshoe shuddered. 

“You are quite a pathetic detective if she is what truly scares you,” Celeste said, causing Gumshoe to sulk. 

“I don’t think you have any right to place judgments now,” Kyoko said coldly. 

“Order, order!” The judge cried, slamming on his gavel to silence the growing buzz.

Jill looked around, and her demeanor faltered as she realized where she was. Why would she be so opposed to being here, Phoenix wondered. She was terrifying, but he assumed she hadn’t done anything actually reprehensible. Probably. “Oh, shit.” She shook her head. “You really got me here, huh, porcupine?” She turned towards Phoenix. “You dirty trickster!”

“Miss, um, Jill, please!” the Judge said. “We need your testimony!” 

“For what?” 

“For this murder case,” Edgeworth said. “Wright has proven that Miss Fukawa’s… other side… can be summoned through blood, and I’d see why she wouldn’t want to summon her voluntarily. That means that Miss Fukawa saw that hooded figure bloodied, summoning Jill, who doesn’t share her memories.” Edgeworth turned towards Jill. “We’ll need your recollection of events after you came to. Wright thinks it’s necessary for his case.” 

“Oh, alright,” Jill sighed. “I’m here anyway, and Big Mac could use the moral support.” She grinned and stuck her tongue out at Makoto, who awkwardly waved back, unsure of what to do. “Here, lemme start from the beginning. I woke up in the hallway, and it was deserted. I wanted to find Master as soon as possible! I hardly ever get to see him!” She sighed and blushed, drool beginning to drip from her tongue. Phoenix couldn’t help but feel sorry for Byakuya at that moment. “I walked down the hallway and I saw Big Mac standing around near the gym! He pointed me towards Master, and there he was in the library, looking gorgeous!” 

Edgeworth looked like he’d aged ten years during that testimony. “Just so we are clear,” he asked, “Does the blood summon work in reverse of the personalities as well?” 

“Ooh, blood summoning! Sounds so hot, and coming from you… I’m on fire!” Jill’s tongue curled as she blushed at Edgeworth, who tried everything in his power to avoid shuddering. 

“No,” Phoenix shook his head. He showed Jill his still bloody palm, and she yawned and stuck her tongue out. “It only has an effect on Toko. If Jill saw blood, she’d be fine.” 

“Now then, Mr. Wright, you may cross-examine the witness,” the Judge said, looking rather uncomfortable at the scene unfolding in front of him. 

“What Edgeworth just questioned is crucial, Phoenix.” Mia said. “Keep it in mind.” 

Phoenix nodded. “Jill, can you just answer a question for me?” 

“Depends on what you’re asking, porcupine.” 

Phoenix sighed, then steeled himself. “When you saw Makoto, was he bloody? Was there anything off about his appearance?” 

Jill crossed her arms and shook her head. “No way, Macarena was as clean as a whistle. He looked a bit tense, but who doesn’t when they’re around me? He was even nice enough to talk to me and point me towards the library!” 

“Macarena?” the Judge asked. “Don’t you mean Big Mac?” 

“It appears those nicknames are interchangeable for the defendant,” Edgeworth said. “More importantly, if Toko saw a bloodied figure, and Jill saw Makoto with no blood on him, how is that possible? It’s a blatant contradiction!” 

Exactly,” Phoenix said. “We saw how fast Jill sprang up after Toko fainted. The defendant wouldn’t have time to clean himself off in that amount of time, and be around when she woke up. If Jill saw Makoto covered in blood, she’d remember that! That means one thing… there were two hooded figures that night, the one Toko saw, and the defendant!” 

“Two hooded figures?!” the Judge said. “But why?!” 

“Wright, you’re forgetting one thing,” Edgeworth said. “Why would this other hooded figure have a bloody weapon on them?!” Edgeworth gestured to the scissors, then took the autopsy report. “It is proven that the victim suffered multiple stab wounds of differing lengths, and that the knife was a weapon involved. It had trace amounts of blood-” 

“OBJECTION!” Phoenix cried. “The scissors had blood on them too! These were both murder weapons, proven by the autopsy report.” Phoenix picked up the report. “The killer used two differend weapons to stab the victim. The hooded figure had the scissors because they’re the true killer!” 

“OBJECTION!” Edgeworth slammed his hands on his desk. “Wright, we discussed this earlier. Why would the killer bother to only take one weapon to dispose of?” 

“Easy,” Phoenix said. “They left the other weapon to frame the defendant, because they knew he’d leave his prints on it. These scissors don’t have his prints, which is another contradiction! If Makoto were the true killer, his prints would either be on both or neither of the weapons! Having them on one weapon is inconsistent! It proves my defendant is being set up! In fact, both of these weapons are set-ups!” 

“Phoenix,” Mia said. “You don’t mean…” 

“That’s right,” Phoenix nodded. “These scissors happen to have been stolen from someone as well. Jill, these scissors are yours, correct?” 

Jill’s eyes lit up, gaining a manic glow that made Phoenix shudder. “My scissors!” She took out a pair of craft scissors and brandished them at Phoenix. “Hand ‘em over, or I’ll make ya! You’re a liar and a thief!” 

“She had those little craft scissors the whole time?” the Judge asked. “She could poke an eye out with those!” 

“Relax baldy,” Jill crowed. “You’re not my type.” 

“I didn’t take these, Jill. I found them in the trash can under Celeste’s milk carton.” Phoenix placed his hands on his hips. “These scissors only have the faded prints of Jill, and Toko I guess, on them. These could’ve been handled by someone with gloves who’d stolen the scissors-” 

Edgeworth slammed a hand on his desk. “Or, they could’ve been handled by Jill herself. We could be looking at the murderer right here, Wright. Jill doesn’t have a clear alibi, not to mention her demeanor-” 

“-No, that’s wrong!” Makoto exclaimed before Phoenix had the chance. “Jill’s story is true, and I saw her, and pointed her towards the library. She was perfectly clean as well, and was wearing the same uniform she is now. If she was the killer, she’d have to be wearing a hoodie like Celeste saw, and she’d have to be bloody as well, as she’d just committed a murder, as I would’ve seen her trying to clean herself if she was. Besides, I know Jill, and she’d never part with those scissors. The only way they'd be left in the trash is if they weren’t used by her, and instead someone was trying to frame her! It also explains why the killer used two weapons-” 

“Mr. Naegi!” the Judge slammed his gavel. “I have already warned you once-” 

“Your Honor, he’s right! Please, spare us a penalty this time!” Mia said suddenly. “His point is absolutely true, and it merely fits with the point the defense is going to make. These scissors are too convenient of a weapon to have been placed by chance, and have the knife left behind. These scissors are incriminating in themselves, because they belong to Jill, someone with an unstable personality, who would be a natural suspect!” 

“Yes,” Phoenix agreed, with a nod of his head. “These scissors were an insurance plan by the true killer, the one with the hoodie. If the defendant somehow didn’t make his way to the victim’s room, these scissors were lying in wait to frame Jill! Besides, these scissors have smudged prints, which could be accomplished by a gloved user placing gloves over the prints of Jill, and of course leaving no trace on the knife!” 

The Judge sighed. “I will not give the defense a penalty this time, as this is a relevant line of thought. However-” the Judge looked at Makoto, and there was a degree of respect that wasn’t there yesterday. “-please understand that this can’t be a regular occurrence, Mr. Naegi. I must keep order.” 

“Of course, Your Honor.” Makoto nodded, but he looked like a weight had been taken off his chest. 

“He’d make a great member of Wright and Co,” Mia said, and Phoenix nodded. 

“Macarena is totally on the money!” Jill said, grinning at Makoto. “This killer totally tried to frame me too, and that’s gonna be their death warrant!” Jill brandished her scissors and glared at the stands. “Which one of you fuckers did it?! One of you jerks stole my scissors, and sullied them with the blood of that clairvoyant idiot! He’s not even cute! It couldn’t have been Master, but anyone else is fair game!” For such a manic presence, she’d deduced that the suspect had to be a classmate rather quickly, Phoenix noted. Based on the looks of shock on the benches (though some were more startled than others), she was one of the first to put it together, too. 

Edgeworth crossed his arms, and looked deep in thought. “Jill,” he asked, as she snapped back to him with a grin. “What exactly is your alibi? Can we have a timing check as well?” 

“Oh, anything for you ruffles. Kyehahaha!” Jill winked at Edgeworth, and he grimaced. “I went to the library, like Macarena said, he totally saw me walk over there! I got there around 9:35, or maybe a bit later. I remember Master referencing the clock and sighing about how he’d only gotten a short reprieve from me. If I had my way, he’d never be free! Kyehahaha!” 

“Mr. Togami,” Edgeworth gestured to Byakuya in the stands. “Can you confirm this? Just a simple gesture will do. There is no need for testimony.” 

Byakuya nodded. “She is telling the truth.” 

Edgeworth nodded back. “Thank you.” 

“Look at my two favorite boys, talking about me!” Jill sighed, blushing. “It’s every girl’s dream!” 

“Well, that will help with timing,” Edgeworth said. “If we place Miss Fukawa-er, Jill- at the library at around 9:35 after seeing the defendant, and Celeste saw the figure at around 9:30, that would make sense, and it would be impossible for the figure Toko saw to be the defendant in that short amount of time. It would be possible, however, for Celeste to see the figure in her trip to the gym to throw away her garbage. This would mean that while this figure was throwing away the scissors…” Edgeworth’s face grew pale with realization. “The defendant was on his way to the crime scene for the first time. The crime had already taken place, and the victim was just starting to die.” 

“Don’t you see it now, Edgeworth?” Phoenix said, as Edgeworth stood still with shock. “The defendant is being framed! This trial has proved it, through testimony and evidence! In fact… Celeste’s earlier testimony brought something to my attention… she said she didn’t know where the card she had from the victim came from. Could that have been a frame-up too? We’ve seen how volatile she gets, and she could’ve been arrested if the police had searched the other students, instead of focusing on the defendant!” 

“Wright,” Edgeworth said, his voice hesitant. He knows we’re right, Phoenix reasoned. “Why would the killer bother with three frame-ups? What would they be trying to do? Why would this happen? Why the defendant?” 

“Who could this mystery figure be, Mr. Wright?” the Judge said. 

“Do you know, Phoenix?” Mia said. 

Phoenix shook his head. “I don’t know,” he admitted. 

“It would have to be someone who’d want to frame these people for a reason, someone who knows them. Someone who’d have access to their things, to place the card and steal the scissors.” Mia said, looking at the stands in trepidation, her face grim with realization. “Of course, Celeste and Toko are easy targets, but why Makoto? He seems so well liked, and this crime would be out of character! I don’t get it…”

Phoenix looked towards Makoto. He refused to meet his eye and slumped in his seat, a stark contrast to the earlier moment in the trial. Phoenix felt sick to his stomach. Makoto has to know, he thought. He knows and he doesn’t want to say. Why? Phoenix looked to the class in the stands behind him, they were all tense with anticipation. Any camaraderie they had was gone, they were already sizing each other up, as Maya, Komaru, Gumshoe, and Franziska could only watch. Komaru even scooted closer to Franziska, who held tight to her whip as she scanned the students. 

“STOP! I DON’T UNDERSTAND!” Hiroko’s voice rang out, an anguished cry that seemed to suspend time. Officer Ishimaru tried to place a hand on her shoulder, but she batted him away. “WHY?! I-I thought it was him,” she pointed to Makoto, “B-but everything has been so contradictory… and I-I don’t understand. Why my son?” She faced the class, angry and devastated. “Why Hiro? Why did you do it? Which one of you…this is senseless! It’s fucking sensless and cruel and I don’t understand-”

The Judge hit his gavel, but his eyes were misty with sympathy. “Mrs. Hagakure, I’m sorry. I do not know what to say, but I cannot have you interrupting this trial… like that. Please, I don’t want to have to hold you in contempt of court.” 

Hiroko shook with rage, and she choked down a sob. Instead, she stormed out of the courtroom without another word, casting a withering glare to the class, notably everyone except Makoto. Officer Ishimaru hurried after her. The courtroom was silent and clotted with heartache. A few sniffles could be heard from the benches, but no one dared to make a sound. 

“Aw geez, this isn’t any fun anymore,” Jill said at last, breaking the heavy silence. “You’d think someone died or something… oh wait.” 

“Be quiet,” Edgeworth snapped, and Jill for once, shut her mouth. 

“Please, Your Honor,” Phoenix said. “Let us extend the trial another day, we need to find the hooded figure, and there is solid evidence that my client is innocent. Let us find the truth, for his sake… and for the sake of his classmates.” Even though one of them is a murderer, is what Phoenix wanted to say, but he knew the others were hanging on by a thread, and that would send the courtroom into pandemonium. Though, everyone seemed to have figured it out already, and it hung in the air like a deadly odor. 

“I agree, Your Honor,” Edgeworth said. “The prosecution also requests a final extension to look into the truth. We do not wish to convict an innocent man, but we have no suspects so far besides him. Let us investigate.” 

The Judge sighed, this trial having definitely taken its toll on him. “Alright,” he said. “I want this hooded figure found, and I want this case tied together for this court tomorrow, with proper evidence and testimony. I do not wish to convict anyone with such a wide array of questions still lingering.” Phoenix and Edgeworth nodded to the Judge. The Judge hit his gavel. “Court is adjourned!” 

******************************************************************************

May 2nd, 1:40 PM

District Court

Courtroom Lobby No. 2

There were no goodbyes, no celebrations or well-wishes after this trial. A loud sneeze signaled the return of Toko, who withered under her classmate’s stares, and glared at Phoenix with a betrayed look. The atmosphere froze over as the class headed back to school, warily eyeing each other, the silence deafening. They avoided Phoenix and Mia’s gazes as they left, and Maya ran from the group towards Phoenix and Mia. 

“I’m glad to be back,” Maya sighed. “The tension is really bad, Nick.” Maya frowned. “I don’t think they trust each other at all. Well, there are some who do, like the people who were together on the night of the crime, but it’s basically become a silent faction fight!” Maya sighed. “I wish they’d just get along already.” 

“It’s not about to get any better, you guys still have to investigate this crime, and prove one of them guilty,” Mia said, her face growing serious. “Phoenix, you have to be on your guard, and you too Maya. One of them is the true criminal. The guilty party would have to have known about Makoto and Hiro’s study session, and exploited it. That’s something only a friend would know.” 

“Some friend,” Maya said, her shoulders slumping. “Most of them seem so nice… maybe it’s somehow a shapeshifter!” Maya said, trying to convince herself. It didn’t work, and she just sighed. 

Mia gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “Just stay close to Nick, sis. You guys can trust each other, at least.” 

“Yeah, we can.” Maya said, giving Phoenix a small smile.

It seemed like a small positive in a sea of negative, but nice to know that Phoenix had some people who’d always be in his corner. However, the one person he needed most to be 100% with him right now wasn’t. His defendant was still lying to him, and covering for the murderer, no less. He had to be, Phoenix reasoned. What else could he be hiding? He frowned and glanced to where Makoto was, talking to Komaru, who nodded to his words, her expression clouded with thought. Phoenix, Mia, and Maya walked over to where they were, and their sudden silence confirmed his suspicions, and now Makoto had roped Komaru into his unknown plan too. 

“Mr. Wright, Mia! ” Makoto said with a small smile. “Thanks for sticking up for me in there, and getting another day-” 

“-What’s going on?” Phoenix said, his voice growing frustrated. “Why are you lying to me? We’re on the same side-” 

Makoto frowned. “I haven’t… I haven’t lied.” 

“Makoto, please!” Maya begged. “We’re trying to help you!” 

“Naegi!” The bailiff called, and Makoto offered an apologetic glance as he left, and Komaru wordlessly left too, following Makoto and the bailiff. What could he have told her?

“He got lucky again, with that bailiff,” Maya muttered. “Is his ultimate luck actually hurting us? Oh, man.” Maya frowned, shaking her head.

“Hey, you.” 

Phoenix turned around and saw Hiroko standing there, her eyes red and puffy. Officer Ishimaru was beside her. Hiroko looked worn, but she’d calmed down from the looks of it. 

“I didn’t understand, and I didn’t come at first because I didn’t want to know how a kid would do something like committing murder,” Hiroko sighed. “However, I thought I owed it to Yasuhiro to come, and I thought that this would be a done deal… but I was wrong. There’s so much about his life, and those I thought were his friends that I don’t know about… I didn’t think a kid could do something so cruel.”

“Take it from someone with the last name Ishimaru with a child,” Officer Ishimaru said. “Kids are capable of being extremely cruel.” He crossed his arms, and offered a hand to Phoenix. “You are doing an honorable thing, sir,” he said as he shook Phoenix’s hand. “I appreciate you not villainizing my son as well...god knows you could’ve. I heard about his testimony too.”

Hiroko nodded. “I’m going to tell you the same thing I just told that prosecutor: find who killed my son, and bring them to justice. No matter what… please.” She extended a hand, and Phoenix shook it. 

“I promise, I’ll find the truth, Mrs. Hagakure,” Phoenix said. 

“Call me Hiroko, Mrs. Hagakure makes me sound old,” she managed a small smile before placing a cigarette in her mouth.

“I’m Maya, and I met Hiro,” Maya blurted out. “We talked about tarot and spirit channeling, oh I’m a medium by the way, and he had me channel someone for one of his classmates. He was friendly, and the people at the channeling all seemed to get along with him. I’m really sorry he’s gone,” Maya said, looking sadly at Hiroko. 

“That sounds like Hiro,” she said, lighting her cigarette. “I appreciate your words Maya and you seem sweet… but it doesn’t change anything. I still don’t trust any of ‘em. Well… I suppose your son is alright for now, Takaaki.” She elbowed Officer Ishimaru, who didn’t respond. He probably doesn’t disagree with her sentiment, Phoenix thought. “Good luck,” Hiroko said, giving Maya a small smile, and nodding at Phoenix and Mia before leaving with Officer Ishimaru in tow. 

“I feel really bad,” Maya said. “I just wanted to help.” 

“You did,” Mia said reassuringly. “She probably liked hearing something nice about Yasuhiro, especially after today. I know it seems bleak right now,” she faced Phoenix and Maya, hands on her hips. “But I know you two and Pearl can figure this out. I believe in you guys, and I know you’ll solve this, just like you always do.” She looked directly at Phoenix, her gaze unyielding. “Phoenix, those kids are counting on you to show them the truth. Makoto is counting on you to prove his innocence. Komaru is counting on you to protect her brother. Hiroko is counting on you to avenge her son.” Mia smiled. “No pressure, though. I know you’ll do great. And keep smiling, no matter how bad it gets!” Just like that, Mia was gone, and Pearl was in her place, looking dazed. 

“Let’s get investigating, Nick.” Maya said, her fists clenched as she grinned determinedly. “Mia’s right, everyone is counting on us, and I’m not about to let them down!” 

Maya ran outside towards the bus, Pearl followed, despite not knowing what just happened. Phoenix followed too, but his stomach was exploding with nerves, and his steps grew slow with dread. He’d have to face the ultimates, all full of suspicion, doubt, and grief. It seemed like an impossible task. His faith in his client was plummeting as well. However, he still felt that spark of hope in his chest, that looked at these difficulties and refused to extinguish. It was maintained by Pearl’s innocent smiles, Maya’s determined expression, and Mia’s rousing words. The odds were against him, but Phoenix wasn’t about to give up. Not by a long shot. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Well, there we go! I hope this chapter delivered, because trial chapters are the main attraction here, I feel like. I also admit I am not as familiar with the UDG characters, so I apologize if I wrote them terribly, but I of course had to keep in mind this is not a tragedy au, but Hiroko would have lost Hiro, so that would make her more emotional and angry than normal. Hopefully her, Komaru, and Takaaki weren't horribly written. I wanted to give Celeste her due as a liar and a witness, so her testimony may seem lengthy, and I wanted to give Toko/Jill her moment too. I definitely wanted to end on a drop in mood and an uptick in despair, as I feel like Danganronpa and Ace Attorney both follow a pattern where the final cases tend to get darker and more serious, so I wanted the jokes to drop off by the end, and the impact to be felt. Overall, I want Phoenix to face a different, tenser atmosphere for the final investigation. The stakes are high, and now his options look limited. Of course, the next chapter will be lengthy, because you guys will finally be getting those sweet, sweet answers.)
> 
> Court Record
> 
> Attorney’s Badge  
> [My attorney’s badge. It’s still shiny, even though the paint is starting to chip a bit.]
> 
> Magatama  
> [Given to me by Pearl Fey, it has spiritual energy that can show when a person is hiding something.]
> 
> Headmaster’s Statement  
> [A statement given in writing by Headmaster Kirigiri detailing the basic rules of Hope’s Peak. Also talks about cameras.]
> 
> Autopsy Report  
> [Approximate time of death dated April 29th, 9:50 PM. Victim suffered from multiple stab wounds of different length, along with head trauma. Died from blood loss.]
> 
> Miscellaneous Shards  
> [Broken shards thought to be from a crystal ball belonging to Yasuhiro Hagakure. Used to injure the victim.]
> 
> Blood Stain Photos  
> [Photos of the blood stains covering Yasuhiro’s floor. According to Kyoko, the placement of the blood is quite odd.]
> 
> Knife  
> [A rather peculiar knife that was found in the victim’s room, covered in his blood. Has fingerprints belonging to Makoto Naegi.]
> 
> Justice Card  
> [A card from Yasuhiro’s deck labeled: Justice. Has a bloody drawing, thought to be a clover, along with a rather neat ‘M’ on the card.]
> 
> Yasuhiro’s Note  
> [A note written by the victim, saying that he’s leaving his door unlocked for a studying session. The handwriting is surprisingly neat.]
> 
> Oh! Cult Flyer  
> [A poster detailing a getaway at Hazaraka Temple and a chance to learn about the Kurain channeling technique. Found in Yasuhiro Hagakure’s room]
> 
> Dormitory Layout  
> [A diagram of where all the students’ dorms are, along with the positions of the cameras in the hallway. Made by the AI, Alter Ego. The camera’s fields of vision have been shaded in by Kyoko.]
> 
> Map of Hope’s Peak  
> [A map of the overall campus of Hope’s Peak made by Alter Ego. It is rather large.]
> 
> Makoto’s Hoodie  
> [A rather comfortable looking brown hoodie belonging to the defendant. It is stained with the victim’s blood.]
> 
> Kyoko’s Testimony   
> [Talks about Makoto’s condition the night he was arrested. It’s rather concise.]
> 
> Kiyotaka’s Testimony  
> [Makoto had a 7 minute period to leave the room. Also, he had the knife on him before Yasuhiro was moved.]
> 
> Toko’s Manuscript   
> [A rough draft of Toko’s manuscript of her latest novel idea. It features a character remarkably similar to Edgeworth, and another similar to me.]
> 
> Tarot Card Book  
> [A beginner’s guide to Tarot. It lists all the cards in the tarot deck, along with their meaning.]
> 
> Hiro’s Tarot Card Deck  
> [The tarot cards belonging to the victim. Two are missing, Justice and Three of Swords]
> 
> Photos of Hiro’s Room  
> [Photos taken by Leon Kuwata showing the state of Hiro’s room before the murder.]
> 
> Princess Piggles Camera  
> [Camera belonging to Hifumi Yamada. Contains pictures taken on the night of the murder.]
> 
> Milk Carton #1  
> [The current milk in the fridge. Was opened on the night of the murder, presumably by Celeste.]
> 
> Milk Carton #2  
> [Found in the trash in the gymnasium. Was opened by Hifumi, evidenced by the handwriting on the carton.]
> 
> Toko’s Scissors   
> [Found in the trash can in the gymnasium. Blood residue and faded, unidentified fingerprints were found on the scissors.]
> 
> Three of Swords  
> [Missing tarot card belonging to Yasuhiro Hagakure. Has a rather sinister meaning. Found in Celeste’s room.]
> 
> Celeste’s Testimony  
> [Celeste saw a hooded figure disposing of something bloodied and silver in a trash can in the gymnasium.]
> 
> Bloody Shard  
> [A formerly white porcelain piece from a teacup Celeste threw at me. I used it to cut my hand.]
> 
> Toko/Jill’s Testimony  
> [Toko saw a bloody figure in a hood with black and white. Jill saw Makoto afterwards, and he was clean.]


	8. Day 3- Investigation 1 (Phoenix)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a 2 part special as Phoenix expands his search horizons to navigate a school plunged in suspicion and despair. Phoenix must connect his evidence to the true killer, but is he on the right path?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know what you're thinking: I'm a day early! Well, suprise! The reason I'm early is that I decided to split the investigation into two parts (you may notice the extra chapter added), because I realized it was getting REALLY long, and I was nearly up to the length of the last investigation at just past the halfway point... and I figured a split was necessary to not overwhelm you guys. I will say sorry for promising answers when you guys are only getting half the puzzle this week, but I will say that the next part might be done sooner than next Sunday, as I'd already started it before I decided to implement the split. Have fun (hopefully)! I also had to cut back on end notes because the court record is getting long,lol.

May 2nd

Detention Center, Visitor’s Room

The bus ride to the detention center filled Phoenix with anticipation and dread. He knew he had to get the truth out of Makoto if they were going to win this case, but he found himself hesitating. Did they even have everything they needed? Phoenix had a nagging feeling they didn’t. That feeling only worsened when they arrived at the detention center to see Komaru already there, talking with Makoto. As soon as Makoto saw them enter the room, he froze and stopped talking. Komaru followed his gaze to Phoenix, and stood up. 

“I’ll leave you guys alone,” she said. “I won’t let you down, Makoto!” Komaru nodded at him before rushing out, and Phoenix saw a piece of paper in her hand. 

“What was that all about?” Maya asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Makoto said with a sheepish expression. “I really wanted to talk about the trial anyway, I mean Mr. Wright, you and Miss Mia-” 

“-No.” Phoenix was taken aback by the harsh quality of his own words, but he figured it was reasonable. Makoto was the main factor holding them back now, and it was high time he knew that. “I’m done sharing information with you, at least until you start sharing with us.” 

Makoto’s eyes widened; even Maya and Pearl looked shocked. Phoenix immediately felt a pang of guilt, but he remembered the pleas of Hiroko Hagakure and that feeling subsided. This case wasn’t just impactful for Makoto, if the true killer isn’t caught, Hiroko won’t know justice. He’d promised her that much, and he couldn’t falter now. Phoenix gripped his magatama in his jacket pocket, and the singular psyche-lock flew into place in front of Makoto. 

“I really don’t want to hinder your investigation,” Makoto pleaded. “I want to help.” 

“Then tell me who you’re protecting,” Phoenix said. “I know that’s the reason you’re holding back. You’re so close with your classmates, and you know something damning about one of them.” 

“Mr. Wright,” Makoto said, shaking his head, “As far as I’m concerned, all my classmates have alibis, right? Why would I need to protect them? Haven’t they all been cooperating and talking with you anyway?”

Phoenix pursed his lips, the psyche-lock still floating in place. Makoto wasn’t going to admit it, Phoenix thought. He had to make him confess through evidence, Phoenix thought. Still, he thought, what evidence did he have?

“Makoto, I, uh, have these tarot cards-” 

“You’re grasping for evidence, Mr. Wright,” Makoto said, crossing his arms. “Just trust me on this, as long as my classmates are coming to you with the truth, you should see the true killer.” 

“You were kinda grasping, Phoenix,” Maya said.

“I promised Hiroko I’d find the truth,” Phoenix said. “I’m not about to let her down. Even if you won’t help me, I’ll find the truth. You have to know one of them did it!” 

Makoto sighed, his shoulders slumping. “I’m not covering for a murderer, I swear. I-I just know that-I… I can’t tell you what I know. It’ll throw everything off.” 

Phoenix stared at Makoto, and he could see the conflict brewing in him. He looked at Phoenix with regretful eyes, and Phoenix faltered again. He’d felt a connection to Makoto, as if they were kindred spirits, but he remembered the last person he’d blindly defended on the stand. He’d nearly drunk poison for her. He didn’t want Makoto to make the same mistake, he seemed to have so much faith in this person he was protecting, while they seemed content to let him take the fall. Phoenix needed to find out who they were, but he didn’t have the evidence for it, at least not yet. Phoenix sighed, letting his magatama loose back into his pocket. He needed to go to Hope’s Peak. 

“Fine,” Phoenix conceded. “Since you won’t say, at least grant me this; help me get on the right path. What did you tell Komaru?” 

Makoto seemed to ponder what he should say. “I gave her a note with permission to enter the school and get some stuff for me.”

Phoenix crossed his arms. “Wait, what? We’re already investigating. What would you want her to see and not us?” 

“No, no!” Makoto waved his hands in front of him as a sign of misunderstanding. “I just wanted her to be able to get into the school, and see and talk to some people. In fact, maybe you guys can compare evidence if you won’t share it with me.” Makoto frowned. “I gave Komaru a note to show to the Headmaster, and to Chihiro.” 

“Chihiro? Why?” Pearl asked. 

“Chihiro has my handbook,” Makoto explained. “On the first day, she was the first to visit me, so I told her to get my handbook from the belongings the police had confiscated from me, and hold onto it. The note is going to have her give it to Komaru, so she can go into my room.” 

“Why didn’t you want us to have this?” Phoenix pressed. “Surely, we could’ve used this on day one!” 

“I-I just-” 

“It probably has something to do with that student, Nick.” Maya shook her head. “We’ve got to get to that evidence before Komaru can do whatever Makoto told her to do!” 

“No wait-” Makoto stood up in his chair. “It’s really not-” 

“We’ve got to go,” Phoenix said, abruptly standing up, Maya and Pearl following suit. “We’ll be back,” he promised Makoto. “We’re going to get the answers, Makoto. Whether you want us to or not… it’s for your own good. I promise.” 

“I know,” Makoto said sadly as they left the room. “I really want to catch the killer too.” 

******************************************************************************

May 2nd

Hope’s Peak Academy-Main Gate

The crushing weight of despair and suspicion was the first thing Phoenix felt when he stepped inside the gates of Hope’s Peak. The gates seemed to somehow get even darker and taller before, and he felt heavier as soon as he stepped inside, as if someone tied concrete blocks to his feet and threw him in Gourd Lake. There was a heavy police presence, no doubt because of the trial. He’d had to push his way past several reporters just to get into the school, and that only served to make him feel worse. It seemed like everybody knew that the killer was in the school, but no one had the guts to really say it, to make it real. Those reporters were salivating over this no doubt, waiting for some kind of sign delivered by this killer student, even if it was the murder of another student. In terms of a greeting, Phoenix expected to see Sayaka or Leon again, but they were nowhere to be found. However, it wasn’t long before he saw Headmaster Kirigiri coming up to him, Kyoko close behind him. As they got closer, Phoenix visibly recoiled. Headmaster Kirigiri’s suit was disheveled, his eyes were bloodshot with heavy bags under them, and it was clear he was wearing the same clothes he’d been wearing on the first day he’d met him.

“He looks awful!” Pearl blurted out as they got closer. 

“Pearly! Be nice…” Maya cringed. “You’re not wrong though,” she muttered. 

“Mr. Wright and associates,” Headmaster Kirigiri said, barely keeping himself up. “I’ve been reading about your triumphs in the courtroom thanks to Kyoko. You’ve been digging up some rather important facts…”

“Where’ve you been?” Phoenix said, placing his hands on his hips. “You haven’t shown up to a trial yet!” 

“I’ve had a school to run, Mr. Wright.” Headmaster Kirigiri looked at Phoenix with tired and lifeless eyes, and Phoenix felt his own spirit drain. “I’ve had calls from concerned parents, asking if this academy will be safe for their kids, some have already withdrawn. I have reporters tugging at these students like they’re prize pigs at an auction. I have so many statements to give, I have to talk to Mrs. Hagakure… and I have to watch the school I poured my life into fall apart before my very eyes… all because of one sick individual.” 

“I’m really sorry, Headmaster Kirigiri,” Maya said. “This school seemed really nice.” 

“Yes, I suppose you got to see it before, with your little excursion here and all….” Headmaster Kirigiri smiled wryly. “Just another flaw in my seemingly perfect school. Those damned blind spots, and students keeping secrets. We authorize visitors for a reason.” 

“Yet it was one of us who committed this crime, not a visitor,” Kyoko interjected, her voice icy. “You spent your life here and shunned your family to build this place. You saw this as some golden beacon where only the brightest and best would fly to, and you never even considered… that not everyone who is talented is also good. There’s always been secrecy here… you were just too obsessed with what you saw as perfect, you never bothered to look further.” Kyoko looked at her father coldly, her eyes full of hurt and resentment. Phoenix felt uncomfortable, as if he was witness to years of pent-up emotions not meant for him. 

Headmaster Kirigiri stopped cold, looking at his daughter mournfully. “Kyoko,” he said, his voice tired and worn. “This school was supposed to be something beautiful. For kids as extraordinary as you. I just thought that if they all were to come together, they would help each other build a brighter future. This was supposed to be the breeding ground for a utopia… but you’re right. I never thought of this as a possibility. I wanted to believe in my students, but I never saw anything besides their talents. I-I-” Headmaster Kirigiri turned away, and took a breath. He still faced away from the group, as if he couldn’t look at Kyoko, who was still glaring. “I abandoned my family for this place… and it’s falling apart. The place I dedicated my life to is crumbling before me, and it’s my fault. I should’ve seen this, I should’ve seen that one of these students had this in them… but my head was in the clouds. I just wish this wasn’t how I came crashing to Earth.” Headmaster Kirigiri sighed and fiddled with the notebook in his hands, before handing it to Kyoko. “You can have your notebook back, Detective. I’ll be in my office if anyone needs me.” Headmaster Kirigiri walked away, each step seemingly weighing him down further. 

“Don’t worry about him,” Kyoko said suddenly. “He needs time to deal with this… though he had a part to play. He wants to have this shining place, but he needs to see the bad. He needs to know that these ultimates aren’t all interested in his vision of a bright future.” 

“He’s your dad!” Maya said. “How can you talk about him like that?” 

“He hasn’t really been my father for a long time,” Kyoko crossed her arms. “You aren’t one to judge. You can’t know what it’s like to grow up without a father.” 

“I can, actually.” Maya said, hanging her head. “Both my mom and dad left when I was small. My mom… actually… I reunited with her, but then she died, a-and-”

“-Misty Fey, from DL6,” Kyoko said, her eyes widening from realization. “I never connected the dots… though I should’ve. Your mother was a master, and she got lambasted for being a fraud… then that latest case with the exorcism…” Kyoko looked at Maya with a newfound respect and understanding. “You would understand,” she said, placing a gloved hand on Maya’s shoulder. Maya’s eyes widened. “In fact, you’ve known more parental heartache than I ever will.” 

“I-I just think you’re lucky to have a dad at all,” Maya said, placing her hand over Kyoko’s. “I understand why you’re mad though. I-I really don’t want to judge you-” 

“-No, I understand. You were trying to help… in a way. You’re my friend.” Kyoko gave Maya a fraction of a smile. “We’re just different in our situations… yet I’m glad to say we can understand each other still.” 

Maya nodded, giving Kyoko a smile. Phoenix found himself managing a slight smile as well, though it quickly subsided. He had more pressing issues to worry about, despite his genuine delight at Kyoko and Maya’s budding friendship. 

“Kyoko,” Phoenix said, causing Kyoko’s face to revert back to it’s usual stoicism. “Do you have any suspects so far?” 

Kyoko furrowed her eyebrows. “I’m not sure,” she admitted, placing a gloved hand under her chin. “I was just giving my notebook to my father and discussing the case with him, but I was about to go meet Prosecutor Edgeworth and Detective Gumshoe. In terms of alibis… some are stronger than others.” 

“Whose are stronger?” Pearl asked. 

“Well,” Kyoko flipped through her notebook. “Hifumi and Junko have photo alibis, and Mondo, Taka, Hina, and Sakura have the largest group alibi, not to mention that Taka’s alibi involves my father, and I saw them together by the gate when the police arrived. Leon and Sayaka say they were together as well, but they don’t have as solid of proof. I’d say that they’re the safest so far, though it isn’t a guarantee.” Kyoko crossed her arms. “The natural suspects would be those who were alone … which everyone else was at some point. Including me.” 

“No way it’s you!” Maya said, leaping to Kyoko’s defense. 

“I didn’t say it was me,” Kyoko sighed. “I’m just saying my alibi is technically weak. Just be alert, okay?” Kyoko said, facing the whole group. “I’m not sure who we can really trust. I told Prosecutor Edgeworth, Prosecutor von Karma, and Detective Gumshoe the same thing, and we’re on high alert.” 

“Everyone was so nice,” Pearl said sadly, looking down at the ground. “I-I was gone as Mia for just a bit… and now everyone’s all… guilty.” 

“Only one of us is guilty,” Kyoko said, placing a hand on Pearl’s shoulder, and crouching down to her level. Kyoko looked hesitant, and Phoenix reasoned she wasn’t used to dealing with kids as young as Pearl, considering her rather aloof nature. “There’s a reason Hope’s Peak has such a reputation… and why my father had such faith. There are a lot of good people here, with genuine hope for the future. A lot of them are my friends. Just don’t trust them blindly because of their status. Think critically, Pearl.” Kyoko stood up. “You seem smart, I’m sure you’ll know who to trust.” 

Pearl nodded, looking at Kyoko with a small smile. Kyoko’s posture subtly slumped with relief, and Phoenix found it endearing that she’d try to help Pearl. She’d probably been afraid she’d say something to make Pearl upset, Phoenix thought. 

“Hey,” Phoenix said. “Where are the other students?” 

Kyoko grimaced. “They’ve split up, all around the school. I’m honestly not sure. A lot of them don’t want to be near each other. I just know that the prosecution’s investigation is going to be set up in the gymnasium today, as Prosecutor Edgeworth thought we’d find more there than in Hiro’s room. We’ll be there if you need us.” Kyoko turned to leave, then she stopped. “On my way to my father, I did see Komaru being escorted in by von Karma, who I saw whip a reporter rather forcefully. Komaru showed my father a note, but by the time I got to them, Komaru and von Karma were already leaving.” Kyoko turned and left before Phoenix could say anything, heading towards the gym without another word. Phoenix gulped, knowing that Franziska was with Komaru. If Komaru got to Makoto’s room, that meant that the prosecution would get the evidence, and Phoenix couldn’t let that happen.

“Mr. Nick!” Pearl tugged on Phoenix’s sleeve. “If Kyoko says she doesn’t know where the students are, then Komaru won’t either! That means if we find Chihiro first, we can get her to give us the handbook instead of Komaru!” 

“Great idea, Pearls,” Phoenix said, ruffling her hair.

“I think I know where she might be, too!” Pearl said with a smile.

Pearl grabbed Phoenix with one hand, and Maya with the other, and began to run, dragging them along. Phoenix was relieved that Pearl was here, at least. It seemed as if she were too young to really see the true sadness that had enveloped Hope’s Peak, and he was glad for it, though he knew she’d see it eventually. After all, she was already starting to see glimpses of it, and they’d just gotten here.

******************************************************************************

May 2nd

Media Room

“This is where Chihiro took me and Mondo to print those maps made by Alter Ego!” Pearl said. “I remember all the tv screens, and Chihiro showed me all the cool buttons on the remotes and I talked to Alter Ego… I really hope it isn’t Chihiro, Mr. Nick.” 

Before Phoenix could respond, he heard a soft noise coming from the media room. Phoenix put a finger to his lips, and Pearl fell silent. Maya leaned in closer to the door, and they all peered in. Surely enough, Chihiro was there, all alone. The TV monitors were off, yet there was a faint glow coming from the room. She had her laptop open, and the familiar face of Alter Ego was there, looking at her with sympathy, which Phoenix found astonishing that a computer program could do. 

“Don’t cry, master!” Alter Ego said. “You’ve told me about your friends and how kind they are! I know that they will not turn on you! They will believe in you, and each other!” 

Phoenix’s heart sank when he realized the soft noises he’d heard were Chihiro’s sobs. The tiny programmer was crying gently, shakily typing into Alter Ego. Phoenix knew that Chihiro had one of the weaker alibis, but it still hurt to see her cry, considering she’d been one of the nicest and most helpful students. 

“Oh, yes!” Alter Ego said. “Your present for Phoenix Wright is now synched and completed!” 

“You have a present for me?” Phoenix blurted out, before he could stop himself. 

Chihiro turned around, and her bloodshot and puffy eyes widened. She blushed, aware of her state, and slumped in her seat. “O-oh!” She turned to type in Alter Ego. 

“Hi, Phoenix Wright, or as Pearl likes to call you, Mr. Nick! I would also like to say hello to Mystic Maya as well!” Alter Ego smiled at Phoenix. “I’m sorry to inform you that Master Fujisaki isn’t very happy. It is not your fault, though! Master thinks quite highly of you and your friends! I do as well! I’ve learned so much!” 

“Uh, thanks,” Phoenix said. 

“You’ve got to type it,” Chihiro said with a sniffle. Phoenix typed the thank you, and Alter Ego grinned. 

“What’s wrong, Chihiro?” Pearl said, walking up to Chihiro and taking her hand. 

“She’s probably upset about the trial, Pearly,” Maya said, approaching as well. “I know you weren’t there, but it got very emotional.” 

“It’s not just that,” Chihiro sighed. “I-I even slept through the first few minutes until Celeste started yelling because I was so tired… and I should’ve tried harder to stay awake. It just showed how weak I am. Weak and pathetic… and now I’m alone.” Chihiro’s eyes pricked with tears. 

“You’re so not weak!” Maya said. “No weak person pulls an all-nighter and shows up to court the next day.” 

Chihiro shook her head. “Taka did the same thing, yet he stayed awake.” 

“Taka’s a goody-goody, plus his dad was there!” Maya said. “He even said that whatever you two stayed up to make, you did the work!” 

“He was really encouraging, though, and he stuck with me the whole night. He said he felt responsible too, because it was his idea and he didn’t want me to neglect my own needs during the process. He brought me snacks, and his loud voice helped me make it through the night, no problem… ehehehe.” Chihiro giggled, though her eyes were still teary. “I-I just wish I could still hang out with them…” 

“Who’s them?” Phoenix asked. 

“Mondo and Taka. I always spend time with them, and Hina and Sakura as well. In fact, we’ve been training together, the five of us. I wanted to get stronger, and I asked Mondo first to help, but then it evolved and I began to train with all of them-” 

“-wouldn’t you feel like a fifth wheel?” Phoenix raised an eyebrow. “You’re in the middle of two couples!” 

“Not to mention all four of them are super in-shape,” Maya said. “I’d probably pass out if I worked out with them.” Phoenix rolled his eyes, despite knowing he’d definitely pass out too. 

“I never felt like a fifth,” Chihiro said. “They always welcomed me and helped me, and it never felt like I was a tag-along. We were just five friends… who happened to be made up of two couples. They’ve really helped me, but,” Chihiro slumped over, and she clutched at the hems of her skirt. “I wasn’t with them on the night of the murder, they’ve pretty much been cleared and my alibi is so weak… they didn’t say they suspect me at all, but when I tried to hang out with them after the trial, they seemed just so hesitant to talk to me… and I actually felt like the fifth wheel for the first time. I-I don’t think they e-even knew t-they were acting like that… b-but they’re right to hesitate because I-I wasn’t there…” Chihiro began to cry again, and Phoenix felt rather powerless, in that he had no idea what to say. 

“You should talk to them,” Phoenix said softly. “Just let them know this, and if they’re your friends, they’ll trust you. I don’t think you’re a liar, Chihiro.” 

“B-but, I am,” Chihiro sighed sadly. “I want you guys to know I’m not hiding anything. I would never!” Chihiro shakily stood up, wiping her eyes. “You have that magatama, so you could see if I was, right?” 

Phoenix froze, and his eyes widened. “How do you know about my magatama… I never told you about it.” 

Chihiro shrank back, already wilting under the suspicion. “I-I read about it in your file! Plus, Pearl mentioned it to Alter Ego when she gave him data!” 

Phoenix sighed in relief, but he clutched the magatama out of caution. Already, the paranoia enveloping the school was having an effect on him. “Wait, Chihiro, did you say Alter Ego is a boy? Isn’t Alter Ego just supposed to be an extension of you?” 

“Y-yeah,” Chihiro sighed shakily. “The truth is-” 

“-You don’t have to say if you don’t want to,” Pearl said suddenly. “You seem kinda worried.” 

“I just don’t want you guys to think any less of me,” Chihiro said, knuckles whitening as she clutched her skirt hem. 

“I, uh, don’t want to make you uncomfortable, Chihiro,” Phoenix said, face twisting with worry. “If it doesn’t have anything to do with the case-”

Chihiro took a deep breath and stood up. “No,” she said. “I need to tell you this, because… well… I trust you, and I want you to trust me. So many people are lying to you, and you guys are just trying to wade through it all… and I’m strong enough to handle it. You have to have the truth from me, or your magatama will pick it up, and just confuse you more. I-I can face it. The reason that Alter Ego is a guy… is because I’m a boy. I just dress like a girl, and am referred to as a girl in public.” 

Maya snapped her fingers, lighting up. “That’s why Alter Ego calls you master instead of mistress or something else feminine!” Chihiro nodded as Maya went on. “Everytime you were referred to as a girl like I did with Mia yesterday you acted kinda off, and that’s why!” 

“Maya,” Phoenix said. “I think you should calm it. That was clearly hard for h-him.” Phoenix turned towards Chihiro. “Why did you tell us this?” 

Chihiro sighed. “I-I just want the lying to stop. All of it. It’s a long story about why I do this, and my training is helping me get strong enough to face the music in the real world outside the academy… but I wanted you guys to know the truth. I saw that you guys were always noticing that stuff that Maya pointed out, and I thought you’d see it as a lie, and suspect me, then the magatama would pick up on it. Besides, I only tell this to people I really trust… like my classmates. They all know about it, and they’re all really cool about it.” 

“They all kept it a secret with no hesitation,” Maya said. “Anyone could’ve told us, and painted you as a liar to save their own hides. Even Celeste, but she never did.” 

“Funny thing about Celeste,” Chihiro looked down at his skirt. “Celeste is the one who sewed this part for me,” he gestured to some stitch marks around the hem. “I didn’t think she would when I’d asked her a few weeks ago, but she obliged, and even gave me some ribbons to accessorize with. She said I’d look adorable, and I’d make the girls at this programming expo I was going to really jealous. Even though… y’know. I actually did have people asking me on dates though…. hehe. That’s why the trial hurt too. I don’t think Celeste is a bad person… most of the time… but if I say that, people will turn on me even more! I-I just want things to go back to normal! W-we were all happy and we trusted each other-” the programmer once again burst into tears, and Phoenix found himself unsure of what to do. 

“Don’t cry!” Pearl said. “You’re so nice, and whether you’re a boy or girl or a computer program or something-” Phoenix bit back a smile, maybe Pearl didn’t know how this computer program worked after all. Pearl gestured to Chihiro’s skirt, “-or if you wear cute skirts changes none of that! You’re a good person, Chihiro! After this case is over, you’ll have all your friends back!” 

Not all of them, Phoenix thought sadly. He didn’t say that, as Pearl’s words seemed to help. Chihiro wiped away his tears, and instead focused on unplugging a handbook from Alter Ego. He took it and offered it to Phoenix. 

“I stayed up coding you a handbook, Mr. Wright! It was Taka’s idea, but I really decided to go all out!” Chihiro blushed as Phoenix took it. “I hope you like it.” 

Phoenix flipped open the handbook and his eyes widened. Inside, all of his vitals were listed, along with a photo of him on the front. Chihiro had him listed as Ultimate Defense Attorney, which made him smile. In bold, the words UNLIMITED ACCESS were next to his ultimate title. “I love it!” Phoenix said. “Why… exactly did you make this, though?” 

“It gives you access to everyone’s rooms,” Chihiro explained. “I took the code from my own handbook and expanded on it to make this! Kiyotaka and I thought if everyone wasn’t going to cooperate, we wouldn’t let Makoto take the fall! This will let you go wherever you want, without having to get the handbook of the student. It’ll save you time, and you can hopefully find the truth… so this can all go back to normal.” 

“Wow… this is amazing. Thank you!” Phoenix held the handbook, and nearly laughed with excitement. This opened up so many avenues and now they didn’t even need- “The handbook!” Phoenix slapped a hand to his forehead. He took Chihiro by the shoulders. “Chihiro, did Komaru Naegi come by here with Prosecutor von Karma?” 

“Yeah,” Chihiro said, and Phoenix’s heart sank. “That von Karma lady is really scary. She has that whip and… oh! Sorry about that. Off topic. She is pretty though. Komaru had a note from Makoto, so I gave her the handbook, because I trust Makoto’s judgment.” 

Phoenix winced at that, it’s not like Chihiro knew that Makoto was lying. Unless Chihiro was the one he was trying to protect-no. No way would Chihiro give him the handbook with unlimited access and reveal his most intimate secret if he were guilty. There was just no way. Besides, Chihiro was so small and sweet, there was almost no way. Still, his alibi wasn’t strong, though Phoenix remembered Kyoko’s words. There were definitely other suspects. 

“We have to get to Makoto’s room, now!” Phoenix said, racing for the door, Maya and Pearl in hot pursuit.

“Wait!” Chihiro stood up. “Just promise me you won’t tell anyone about… y’know. It’s not public outside the school… and those prosecutors are scary, even if that Gumshoe guy seems nice. I mean, Toko’s secret was exposed and-” 

“We won’t,” Phoenix said. “It’s your secret, and we’ll keep it. Toko’s secret was critical to the case… and I hated myself for exposing it. I didn’t want to… and I’m sure she hates me now, but I’ll deal with it later. Your secret has nothing to do with this, and we’ll keep it for as long as you want us to.” 

“I believe you,” Chihiro said with a small smile. “Good luck, Mr. Wright. We’re all counting on you.”

******************************************************************************

May 2nd

Makoto’s Room

Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl raced down the hallway to Makoto’s room. They’d passed by the gymnasium and cafeteria, but they didn’t bother to stop. He wasn’t even sure if he’d seen anyone else, but he just cared about the evidence. They got to the dormitory hallway, and they ran past several rooms, until arriving at Makoto’s. Phoenix moved to use his handbook, but he noticed the door was already open a crack. Phoenix tentatively pushed it open to find Komaru sitting on the bed flipping through something, while Franziska was rummaging through drawers. 

“Franziska,” Komaru said, pointing to the book. “I think my brother has something he wants us to see here. He told me he wanted this.” 

“It is just a photo album of your brother and his friends,” Franziska leaned over Komaru’s shoulder and pointed at a photo. “That appears to be Detective Kirigiri with the victim, Hagakure. She looks rather exasperated with him.” 

“Yeah, it’s weird seeing everyone here…. they look happier.” Komaru said, pursing her lips. 

“Hey!” Phoenix said. “Prosecutor von Karma, you’re not even on this case!” 

“I’m assisting the prosecution, Phoenix Wright. I am merely trying to see what my little brother couldn’t.” Franziska crossed her arms. “I helped Komaru Naegi enter the school regardless, and I’ve decided I will stick by her, as I believe we are both a fresh pair of eyes for this crime. And it helps that we are not part of this rather murderous student body.” 

“I just don’t get it,” Komaru sighed. “Why would the killer want to frame Makoto?” Komaru held up the album. “He always talks about how close he felt with all of his friends, and how much they all liked him, and these photos show that! Why would anyone want to hurt him like this?” Komaru sighed, and Franziska, shockingly enough, placed a hand on Komaru’s shoulder. 

“You’re right,” she said, removing her hand as soon as it had been there. “It does not make sense. This Makoto Naegi is seemingly beloved by his classmates based on what I have gleaned from my time here. He seems like the agreeable type, the type to bring together those who otherwise would have nothing to do with each other-” Franziska gestured to the photo of Kyoko and Yasuhiro. “-I do not understand why the killer would frame him when there is lower hanging fruit, like Celestia Lundenberg or Toko Fukawa like you said in today’s trial. In fact, I read that in the first trial, Kiyotaka Ishimaru even ceased testifying in order to avoid condemning him further. He is an outlier, yet he bears the brunt of this case.” 

Phoenix nodded his head in agreement. “Komaru,” he said. “Is this photo album the evidence Makoto asked you to get for him?” 

Komaru nodded. “He didn’t call it evidence though. He just wanted it. I-I think that he wanted to remember his classmates when they weren’t all suspects, or something like that.” 

“Do you still have the note?” Maya asked. 

“Oh, uh,” Komaru blushed. “I actually kinda drew over it on the bus ride over here, and I could barely even show it to Chihiro and that Headmaster guy. I actually already drew over the rest in here, and gave it to Franziska, then I found the album!” 

“Yes,” Franziska reached into the pocket of her vest, and pulled out a drawing. It was Franziska and her whip, beating down a demon horde, drawn in a manga styling. “It’s quite representative of my fight for justice, and my impending victories. I intend to hang it in my office post-haste.” 

“Yay!” Komaru grinned. “It’s my thank you present, for escorting me! You really are like a manga heroine!” Komaru’s eyes were starry as she looked at Franziska. Between her and Toko, they were already dreaming up a whole series around the prosecutors, Phoenix thought with a sigh. Komaru cleared her throat. “Here, let me show you guys the album. Maybe Makoto wanted to show you something.” 

Everyone crowded around Komaru as she flipped through the photo album. The cover had Hope’s Peak, Class 78 on the cover. Based on the dedication inside, Makoto had been roped into some sort of class photography project spanning across the school, starting from someone named Mahiru Koizumi. Makoto had been taking pictures of his classmates throughout the years, and Phoenix guessed that the only reason this album was so full was because Makoto was the one taking the pictures. He was the one who could bring everyone else together like this. Everyone was in the album: there was Leon playing the guitar while Chihiro listened attentively beside him, Hiro showing his crystal ball to Kyoko, a picture of Celeste and Junko playing cards, Kiyotaka and Sakura sparring, Hina in the pool splashing water towards a scowling Byakuya, Mondo showing off his bike to an unimpressed yet fearful looking Toko, Hifumi drawing a portrait Sayaka was posing for in her idol dress, and there was a picture of Mukuro, by herself. She was looking at the photographer, presumably Makoto, and smiling, holding up a peace sign with a blush. There were so many more, but those were just a few. Looking at the photo album made Phoenix feel a spark of hope. This is who these kids are, Phoenix thought. All but one. 

Komaru finished flipping through the photo album, but as she tried to close it, Pearl yanked it from her. Komaru glared and tugged back at it. 

“Hey, give it back! I promised Makoto!” Komaru tugged on one end.

“No! Mr. Nick needs this, and Makoto is lying!” Pearl tugged back. 

The tugging was wearing on the book, and Phoenix cringed. He thought about stopping them, but Pearl was right in that they could use this--a piece of paper fluttered from the album and landed on the ground. It was probably hidden behind one of the pictures, Phoenix thought; Pearl and Komaru’s fight must've shook it loose. Phoenix bent over and picked up the paper. 

Everyone crowded around Phoenix as he looked it over. It read: _ To Makoto, I borrowed your hoodie, but I’ll return it tonight. I also wanted to talk to you about something important. Please meet me by the gymnasium this evening. -M _

“M?” Komaru raised an eyebrow. 

“The killer!” Maya gasped. “Nick, Hiro left the justice card, and he wrote out the letter M. This M must be the same person!” 

“That’s right… and Makoto knew this note was in the album. He was going to have Komaru bring it to him, and we’d never know.” Phoenix crossed his arms and turned to Komaru. “Your brother is covering for someone who’s clearly guilty,” he said. “For his own good, please, let us have this album. We need him to tell us the truth, or we won’t be able to help him.” 

Komaru looked at the album in her hands and sighed. “Here,” she handed it to Pearl, who still hadn’t let go, despite being overpowered. “I-I don’t know why Makoto lied, and I thought it was weird he wouldn’t want to tell you guys. I’d guess he has faith in his classmates,” Komaru gestured to the book. “I just don’t think they deserve that faith right now. You guys have to help him see that! He can’t help everyone else if they won’t help him!” 

Franziska nodded. “You’re making the right call, Komaru Naegi. If you like, we can continue to search your brother’s room to see what else he’s hiding. So far, all I see are these rather plain hoodies.” 

“The note did say M borrowed one,” Komaru said. “We could look more. I promise if we find anything, I’ll tell you guys.” Komaru gave Phoenix a nod. 

“I will inform my little brother of anything we find as well,” Franziska said. She turned to a worried-looking Komaru. “Do not worry,” she said. “Miles Edgeworth is not the enemy here. We are working towards the same truth, and that truth will hopefully help us save your brother.” 

This seemed to put Komaru at ease, and she and Franziska began to investigate. Phoenix reasoned they should begin looking around the school for evidence and he should start trying to seek out the students, as uncomfortable as it was. Maybe, it was time to use his handbook as well. They were in the dorms, after all. 

******************************************************************************

May 2nd

Dormitory Hallway

“Who do you think M is, Nick?” Maya asked. “It could be an alias or something!” 

“Or it could just be whoever’s name starts with M,” Phoenix countered. “The only options besides Makoto would be Mondo and Mukuro.” 

“Mondo was out almost the whole night. Not to mention he has his own cooler looking jacket,” Maya said, crossing her arms. “That leaves Mukuro…. and her alibi was just as weak as Chihiro’s!” 

“Yeah, but when I questioned her yesterday, no psyche-locks came up!” Phoenix said. “Unless, she somehow beat the magatama, but how would she-” 

“-Y-you, r-rat.” Toko’s door opened a crack, and Phoenix leapt back, realizing how close he was to the door. “I-I can h-hear y-you t-talking a-about me, y-you’re g-going to t-throw me i-in j-jail, a-and y-you l-lied!” Toko glared at Phoenix from behind the door, and Phoenix hung his head. 

“Toko,” he sighed. “We weren’t talking about you, and I’m sorry. I didn’t want to deceive you, but I really needed your testimony to prove Makoto innocent-”

“-I-I know y-you are. I-I d-don’t c-care. I-I keep h-her hidden f-for a r-reason,” Toko said, looking down at the floor. “Y-you c-could’ve r-ruined m-my l-life.” Phoenix noticed a piece of paper in her hands. 

“Why?” Maya butted in suddenly. “She’s weird and vulgar but otherwise-” 

“-You a-all h-have done e-enough. Y-you all h-hate me, a-and I h-hate y-you. I-I just h-hope M-makoto is i-innocent or-or it’ll b-be for n-nothing.” Toko frowned and clutched at her papers. “I-I’m rewriting m-my book.” She shoved a few pages into Phoenix’s hands before closing the door in his face. 

“I don’t hate you, none of us do!” Phoenix tried, but the door didn’t budge. He glanced down at the papers, and he saw the new title.  _ Passion of the Paladin Prosecutor versus the Quilled Demon.  _ The book now featured Edgeworth as the shining hero rescuing an introverted princess from a spiked, ugly demon in a courtroom dungeon. Phoenix sighed, so much for being the protagonist in a famous book. At least Edgeworth wasn’t a demon anymore, though even as a demon, Toko had written him like a handsome prince. Phoenix missed being the blue knight, but it was something he had to accept. He betrayed Toko, and he was lucky being an ugly demon was the worst he’d gotten from her. 

“About M,” he sighed, walking over to Mukuro’s room, with his handbook at the ready. “If it is the most likely suspect, we need to start with her.” 

“I just hope she isn’t in her room, Nick.” Maya said as Phoenix swiped his handbook, and the door hesitated a moment, before unlocking with a short  _ click. _ The trio stepped inside, just hoping Mukuro wasn’t there. 

******************************************************************************

May 2nd

Mukuro’s Room

It’s orderly in here, that was the first thing Phoenix noticed. As befitting of the ultimate soldier, he reasoned. The room was plain and unremarkable, kind of like Mukuro herself. As soon as he thought that, Phoenix felt bad. He’d hardly talked to Mukuro this whole time, she could have a secret side to her, though considering what he was about to investigate, this secret side wasn’t necessarily good. 

“Man, Nick. This room is so boring,” Maya sighed. “You’d think someone with the ultimate fashionista as a sister would have a more fun room. You know, maybe we should have Junko makeover Wright and Co sometime.” 

“Maya, not now!” Phoenix said. 

“Oh, pillow fight!” Maya grabbed a pillow and playfully whacked Phoenix, and a paper fluttered out of the pillow. Not again, Phoenix thought. 

He leaned over to pick it up, and his eyes widened. It read:  _ Defendant: Phoenix Wright, Attorney: Mia Fey, Witness: Dahlia Hawthorne. Defendant found not guilty- _

“Nick?” Maya looked in the pillowcase and continued to pull out papers. Phoenix ran to the other pillowcase and he saw more and more papers. Pearl looked under the bed and found more papers. As they read it over, Phoenix felt a lump of dread lodge itself in his chest. These are all the papers from the missing files, Phoenix realized. Mukuro had them, she didn’t have the manila folders they came in for some reason, but she had the important part. The information about him, about Edgeworth, about the culprits. All those transcripts, evil people poking and prodding at his weaknesses in the courtroom, all in black and white.

“We have to continue looking,” Phoenix said, trying to shake his nerves as he stuffed the papers in his jacket. Pearl and Maya both looked nervous, but they continued to search as well.

He began to rustle through Mukuro’s drawers, and he couldn’t help but feel weird about going through a teenage girl’s things. A potentially murderous teenage girl, but still. He flew through the clothing, and began to look through the sweatshirts. He laid them out on the bed, and there was one outlier. One looked smaller than the rest of them, it had been nestled tightly between the others, and the others were camo patterned and uniform. The smaller hoodie was brown, though it could look almost black in certain lighting. 

“Nick,” Maya said, her voice wobbling with concern. “Is that…”

“But there’s no blood on it!” Pearl said. “If Mukuro killed Hiro with Makoto’s jacket-” 

“-She could’ve washed it off or something. We should have it tested at Criminal Affairs for trace amounts of blood anyway,” Phoenix took the jacket and placed it in the court record. 

He looked in the drawer to make sure he hadn’t missed anything else, and his heart stopped. Inside the drawer, there were a few purple shards. He knew exactly what they were. “These shards… they’re from the crystal ball. A few of them must’ve clung to the hoodie when it broke...” 

“Then that hoodie has to be the one worn by the assailant! Mukuro… why?” Maya frowned. “What could Hiro have done to make her hate him?” 

“I haven’t found anything to show that,” Phoenix admitted, adding the shards to his record. “I don’t know how she’s connected to Yasuhiro at all.” 

“I did find this,” Pearl said, and gestured to Mukuro’s wall. 

The wall was bare and monochrome, barring two photos. One photo was of Mukuro and Makoto, Mukuro was smiling and looking at Makoto, a blush covering her face. It was odd seeing someone who was normally so stoic be so happy, Phoenix thought. He noticed that she had a tattoo of a wolf on her left hand. He hadn’t noticed that before. To be fair, he hadn’t thought to look. The second one was of her and Junko, both of them posing for the camera, though it was obvious Mukuro had no idea what she was doing. There were no photos with Yasuhiro.

“Should we take them?” Pearl asked. “What do they mean?”

“If they even mean anything,” Maya said. 

“Better safe than sorry,” Phoenix delicately plucked the two photos from the wall. As he did, he felt a sense of dread. Mukuro was the ultimate soldier, and she had the talent to kill. Odds are, she’d taken many lives already to earn her title. Makoto, Phoenix thought, clutching the pictures, why would you protect someone like her?

******************************************************************************

May 2nd

Dormitory Hallway

Phoenix barely closed the door to Mukuro’s room, sighing with relief as the door clicked shut. No one would know they were there, at least for now. Maybe Mukuro would notice her photos were missing, but hopefully they’d already be leaving the school by that point. He, Maya, and Pearl had just started to make their way down the hallway, when they saw a familiar singer running towards them. 

“Mr. Wright! Maya! Pearl! I’m sorry for being late, I was just visiting Makoto until the next person arrived!” Sayaka said, running up to the group. “It was nice to get away,” the bluenette admitted. “It’s horrible here, and I just got back.” 

“Who’s visiting Makoto now in your rotation?” Phoenix asked. He hoped it wasn’t Mukuro. 

“It’s Chihiro, though she-” 

“-You don’t have to cover for him anymore,” Maya said. “He told us.” 

Sayaka’s eyes widened. “He did?! Why?” 

“He said he was tired of all the lying, and that he trusted us. He just wants everyone to be honest,” Maya explained. 

“Don’t we all,” Sayaka sighed. “Speaking of, have you guys found anything without me?” 

“Just this photo album,” Phoenix lied, not wanting to share the Mukuro lead yet. “Makoto wanted us to get it.” 

Sayaka’s eyes narrowed. She clearly wasn’t convinced, her great intuition no doubt tipping her off. “I get it,” she sighed. “I’m honestly glad you didn’t just tell me. It has to be one of us, right? I’d rather you told none of us, keep it cautious.” 

“I-I trust you,” Pearl said, gripping on Sayaka’s sleeve. “Kyoko told me I have good intuition, and I trust you!” Pearl faltered, but maintained her grip. “You told me about how you met Makoto and how he helped that bird… you just seem like such good friends and you’re so nice to me.” Pearl stopped and hung her head. “I haven’t met a lot of cele-bri-ties. I heard from Mr. Nick that they’re normally mean, but you aren’t. You’re an idol… and I look up to you, I’ve seen you on TV, and now I know you and you’ve talked and sang to me… you’re my friend, right?” 

Sayaka gave Pearl a watery smile, and it was clear she was close to tears. “Of course, Pearl. I’m honored you look up to me as an idol, and as your friend… I promise I didn’t do this. I want Makoto free, because he’s been one of my closest friends since before Hope’s Peak, and he’s so selfless-” Sayaka took a deep breath, to avoid tears. Pearl rushed to hug her, and Maya did as well. 

Phoenix hung back, not wanting to intrude. He really didn’t believe it was Sayaka, after all, Pearl believed, and he believed in Pearl. However, he didn’t want to talk about Mukuro without finding more evidence. He already had so much, yet he found himself hesitating. This atmosphere made him reluctant to accuse anybody, because he knew it would turn messy fast if even a whiff of it got out to the rest of the class. 

“Sayaka,” he asked, hesitantly. He didn’t know if he should go down this path, but Sayaka and Makoto were close. Maybe if he wouldn’t, she’d tell him what he needed to know. “Are there any students that Makoto is closer to besides you and Kyoko? Or anyone that really hates Hiro?” 

Sayaka untangled herself from the embrace of the mediums and brushed aside a few tears. “I’m not sure about Hiro,” she admitted. “There are a few people who think he’s stupid and he and Toko have clashed before, but it’s nothing that would warrant… murder. As for Makoto, Kyoko and I are his closest friends, but besides that he’s surprisingly close with Byakuya and Mukuro.” 

Mukuro. Phoenix tried to maintain a stoic expression, but his eyebrows betrayed him as they raised. “Why those two?” he asked. “Why is that surprising?” 

Sayaka frowned, but she chose not to press. “Byakuya is surprising because… well you’ve met him. He isn’t exactly the friends type. He doesn’t like hanging around us all that much, but he likes Makoto for some reason. He talks to him about business and stuff, and even asks his opinion when he happens to sit with Kyoko, Makoto, and I at lunch. Normally, Toko comes trailing after him and then we have to squish on the bench and stuff-” Sayaka giggled into her hand, and her eyes grew clouded with memories. “-And as for Mukuro, she’s always been a loner. She only ever hung out with Junko for a long time, and a lot of people were scared of her because of her talent. Makoto was the first person to go out of his way to befriend her, and he even invited her to sit with us at lunch, and she actually has more often! He really gets her talking, and when she does… she’s surprisingly feisty and funny! She can be really sweet,” Sayaka sighed, and Phoenix could’ve sworn she blushed. “Though, I think she’s crushing on Makoto.” 

Phoenix nearly choked on air. “Wait, what?!” he sputtered. “But- she’s so-” 

“Phoenix!” Maya chided. “Mukuro is clearly a girl with emotions below the surface!” 

Sayaka nodded, and looked at Phoenix knowingly. “I’ve gotten to know Mukuro more when she isn’t in Junko’s shadow,” Sayaka said, not letting up in her gaze. Phoenix felt himself rooted to the spot. “She’s not a bad person. She just has a lot of… history. She was a part of this mercenary group and was a child soldier… she had it rough before she got here. I bet Makoto would know more. Or Junko, though I doubt she’ll be helpful.” 

“Why not?” Pearl asked. “Junko is her sister!” 

“Yeah,” Sayaka frowned. “Junko happens to be in her own world a lot of the time. Mukuro’s a part of it for sure, but she has a tendency to drag Mukuro away whenever she hangs out with us… it’s just a bit annoying.” 

Phoenix frowned. “Speaking of, where are the other students?” 

“Oh!” Sayaka gestured down the hallway. “A lot of them have gathered by the gymnasium. They’re watching the prosecution… because the second a definitive clue is discovered, they want to see. I don’t think that Detective Gumshoe guy is used to having so many eyes right on him like that, I saw Kyoko trying to get him to calm down…”

“Alright, let’s go.” Phoenix said. 

Sayaka offered her hand to Pearl, and the tiny medium took it with just a hint of trepidation. The two went off down the hallway, with Phoenix and Maya following. 

“It makes me uneasy that they’re all crowding around the evidence, Nick.” Maya said. Her voice got lower. “Mukuro will probably be there.” 

“Just act natural,” Phoenix whispered back. “Depending on what Edgeworth and Kyoko find, we might get a different suspect… or confirm our suspicions.” 

******************************************************************************

May 2nd

Hallway

Phoenix sighed with relief as he saw that Edgeworth or Kyoko (he doubted it was Gumshoe) had the good sense to cordon off the doors to the gym with caution tape and shut it. His relief faltered as several pairs of eyes that were locked on the door flew to him. 

“Where the hell have you been,” Leon said, crossing his arms. “Have you found anything? Who is it? Do you know yet?” 

“For all you know, he could’ve found evidence condemning you, Kuwata.” Byakuya rolled his eyes as Leon glowered at him. “I do think it’s rather counterproductive that the prosecution has shut us out-” 

“-You can’t live without knowing everything, huh?” Leon sneered. “You think you’re all high and mighty-” 

“-STOP!” Kiyotaka shouted. “I will not have any more discord on school grounds! We must try to hold ourselves together for Makoto’s sake-” 

“-Oh, shut up, Taka.” Junko waved him off dismissively. “We all know the killer is one of us, so what good will it do to hope otherwise? Makoto’s an idiot if he thinks we can stick together.”

“I agree,” Celeste said, nodding. “I do believe that trusting someone is what got Hagakure killed in the first place, after all. And let us not forget that Kiyotaka was the first to even testify against Makoto.” Celeste smirked as Kiyotaka’s posture faltered as his eyes clouded with guilt at her remark. She still knows how to spot a weakness, Phoenix reasoned, even after she’d lost her composure at the trial. She’d gained back her original demeanor in full. 

“At least he didn’t lie about what he saw,” Hina said, glaring at Celeste. “You threw Makoto straight to the wolves! Besides, you said you didn’t know how that card got in your possession, but I don’t believe you one bit. You could’ve helped to stop that hooded figure, but you did nothing!” 

“Believe what you want, you dimwit,” Celeste fired back, ignoring the now rather frightening glare from Sakura. “Just know that you are wrong, and if you choose to condemn me, there will be a killer among you still. And if I had tried to go against an armed assailant, I would be lying beside Hagakure in a grave somewhere. I am not foolish enough to interfere with someone shrouded in darkness. I merely decided to take my leave, and I am quite fortunate they were too preoccupied to see me.” 

“Did you happen to see what they did as you were leaving?” Phoenix asked. 

Celeste shook her head. “They hovered by that trash can, but I did not stop to look. My gut told me to fold, and I am glad for it.” 

“We should go, Nick.” Maya gestured towards the entrance to the gym, undoubtedly eager to get away from the brewing conflict. Pearl was also eager to get away, and let go of Sayaka’s hand to go inside. Sayaka, for her part, seemed content to stay outside with the class. She probably knows that if they took her in, the class would surely protest, and she didn’t want that. Phoenix gave her a small nod before heading into the gym.

******************************************************************************

May 2nd

Gymnasium

“Don’t come in- oh.” Edgeworth breathed a sigh of relief. “Wright, it’s only you. I see you’re missing your usual baseball star and pop sensation.” 

“It’s for the best,” Kyoko said. “Leon’s a loose cannon right now, and if you include Sayaka people will kick up a fuss. There are even some lingering doubts about me getting involved.” 

“It’s real nerve wracking here, pal,” Detective Gumshoe said. “I can practically feel them staring at me from the door! And they’re all so suspicious and stuff… it just gives me the creeps, you know? I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I want to go back to criminal affairs as soon as possible!” 

“Yeah,” Maya said. “All it took was us walking up for the fighting to start, not to mention the accusations.” 

“Have you talked to anyone?” Phoenix asked Edgeworth. “Who do you think the murderer is?” 

“I’d be curious to hear your thoughts as well, Prosecutor.” Kyoko eyed Edgeworth intensely. 

Edgeworth sighed. “I merely confirmed alibis when the students started to show up. I believe the foursome of Mondo-despite his rather lengthy record-, Kiyotaka, Aoi, and Sakura can be cleared rather easily. Their stories consistently match. Leon and Sayaka have also stuck to their stories, though there are only two of them. We could fingerprint Leon’s guitar, but I doubt it’s necessary. Obviously, the main suspects are Celeste, despite her potentially being framed, Byakuya also had a period of time before the murders when he left Toko on purpose. Also, Chihiro, and Mukuro. I believe the latter two have weak alibis, due to them being alone the whole night. They both say the same thing as well.” 

“They were both watching  _ Warriors of Hope vs Despair _ ,” Phoenix said, thinking back. “However, Chihiro said, uh, she was in her room, but Mukuro never bothered to specify the location of where she was…” 

Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. “Wright, do you suspect Mukuro? I’ll admit, her talent does predispose her to killing.” 

“I-I” Phoenix faltered as Edgeworth’s eyes narrowed. He figured he should at least clue Edgeworth in a little, though he wasn’t sure if he wanted to share the full extent of his discovery. “I wonder if someone as serious as Mukuro would even like that show anyway. I’ll admit-” 

“-It may feature slapstick comedy, but it is far from mindless.” Edgeworth managed a small smile. “I enjoy it, and it does explore the possibilities of a person giving in to their own despair… which is impressive considering its intended audience. You should try watching it with me, sometime. It’s no  _ Steel Samurai  _ but it is good. I can explain what I’ve seen to you.” 

“It’s a date,” Phoenix blurted out, and he blushed as soon as those words left his lips. Why did I say that?!

Edgeworth blushed as well, before merely nodding. “I look forward to it, Wright.”

Maya was grinning, and elbowed Gumshoe, whose grin just made Phoenix blush more. Pearl looked confused, as if her vision of Phoenix and Maya was crumbling before her eyes. Kyoko rolled her eyes, but Phoenix could see her biting back a smile. She whispered something to Maya, who giggled. 

“I believe the verdict is that Mukuro could enjoy the show,” Kyoko said, coming to the rescue of the two men. “Besides, there is more to Mukuro Ikusaba than meets the eye. Though, I will say that Makoto brings it out of her the most.” 

“Sayaka said the same thing,” Maya said. Kyoko raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. Maya went on. “In fact, she said that Mukuro likes him! Like loves kinda like. Did you know that?” 

“I’ve suspected,” Kyoko said with a frown. “I can understand why she would. Makoto is a nice guy, and he is always especially nice to her.”

“Does that bother you?” Maya said, hints of a smirk showing. 

“No,” Kyoko shook her head. “I’m not about to be the kind of person who will be bothered by something like that. Mukuro can like whoever she wants.” 

“Yeah, no worries!” Detective Gumshoe clapped Kyoko on the back. “He’s totally into you anyway, pal! This Mukuro girl will just have to find someone else!” 

Kyoko blushed. “Here, let me show you what we have found.” Kyoko gestured to a pile of garbage, completely ignoring the subject. 

Phoenix wondered how much longer she’d ignore her feelings. It was understandable now considering the circumstances, but Phoenix found himself wondering just how long Kyoko had put her feelings on the backburner. 

“I dug through the trash this time, pal!” Detective Gumshoe said, elbowing Phoenix. Phoenix was glad it wasn’t going to be him this time, at least. 

“I offered,” Kyoko sighed. “Anyway, here is something interesting. It is a fragment of something, and it is white. I found a similar fragment, and it is black. It appears to be… some sort of plastic. I couldn’t figure out what it could be, but I remembered Toko’s testimony, so I figured it was important.” 

“Don’t forget these,” Edgeworth cringed as he reached into the garbage to produce some weird looking black strips. He rearranged them in a certain fashion, and Phoenix’s eyes widened as they came together to resemble a pair of shredded gloves. “The killer undoubtedly used the scissors to shred their gloves when they disposed of them, and it took us a while to really see the black strips. I can see why these would be missed on an initial scan.”

Phoenix’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the gloves. He picked up the shredded pieces one by one, and his eyes widened. There was something rather weird attached to the right index fingertip of one of the gloves. It was small and red, and it felt similar to the larger fragments, but not exact. It was triangular in shape. “What’s this?” he said. 

“I’m not sure,” Edgeworth admitted. “Maybe it is a miscellaneous piece of trash that got stuck. Though what it could be is beyond me.” Edgeworth looked to Kyoko, who shrugged as well. Detective Gumshoe also looked clueless, but that wasn’t anything new. “We also tested them for blood, and they had blood all over.” Edgeworth nodded to Gumshoe, who showed them a bottle luminol testing fluid. 

“Can I see that?” Phoenix asked. “I could use it, and it could save me a trip to criminal affairs.”

Gumshoe looked to Edgeworth, who nodded, and he handed the bottle to Phoenix. Phoenix figured he should spray the hoodie with this soon.

“Anyway, look inside the trash,” Kyoko stuck her head inside, and emerged with a cup of noodles on her head. 

“Uh, pal… you, uh…” Detective Gumshoe gestured to his head, and Kyoko’s hand flew up to her own head, where she sighed and batted away the noodles, muttering about how it was the second time today that had happened to her.

Phoenix stuck his head in the trash, and made sure to avoid any noodles. He saw what Kyoko must’ve been referring to. There were a few crystal shards inside the trash as well. 

“Did those come from the gloves?” Phoenix asked, as Maya and Pearl also stuck their heads in the trash to see what he had.

Kyoko nodded. “They fell from the shreds as we took them out.”

“Hey, did you check this other trash can over here?” Maya waved to the one further away from the door. “I know it’s not the one that Celeste was talking about but-oh!” Maya stuck her head in the other can, and began to rummage. 

Phoenix’s eyes widened as the top half of her body disappeared into the garbage can. Pearl ran over and began to tug on Maya, but was utterly ineffectual. Detective Gumshoe ran over and gently plucked Maya out with ease. Maya was holding two more fragments, and these ones were a mixture of black and white.

“I guess I should’ve rummaged around in there too, huh, pal.” Detective Gumshoe said as the three made their way back to the group. “Here, let’s try and fit these in with the others!” Detective Gumshoe configured the pieces together, and when Phoenix saw the final image he felt… confused. 

“Monokuma?” Edgeworth groaned. “Why would there be a Monokuma mask lying around and look-” Edgeworth pointed to the bottom part of the white mask. “Some of it is chipped off. Barely, but some.” 

“Look closer,” Kyoko said, taking a magnifying glass from her jacket. Wait, did she have that the whole time? She held the magnifying glass over the chipped part. “This isn’t an even split, and there is a barely visible fleck of blood by it. I believe there was a struggle, and Hiro tore this from the killer’s face.”

Phoenix nodded. “Remember those shards we found the first day? Most of them were purple-ish and transparent, because they’re from the crystal ball. However, there were some white shards that didn’t fit mixed in.” Phoenix picked out the white shards from the bag. “If you feel these-” he handed them out to the group, “-they’re made of the same material of these fragments, and not the crystal shards, or even this porcelain shard from Celeste’s teacup!” 

“You, uh, should really bandage your hand, by the way, Nick.” Maya said, looking at the still-raw cut on Phoenix’s hand. 

“These are bloody as well,” Edgeworth said, gesturing to the white shards. “I’d believe the victim had his own blood on his hands when he tried to rip the mask off, but he only managed to chip off a piece of this cheap plastic. Would this mean that the victim never saw his assailant’s face? He’d have no way of leaving any indication as to who-” 

“-We have a lead, actually,” Phoenix said. They’d shared their evidence, and Phoenix reasoned it was about time he did the same. 

“We found these,” Phoenix laid out the evidence he’d found. He told the three about Komaru and Franziska.

“Of course,” Edgeworth sighed. “She left a while ago to investigate some noise outside, and it figures she would go off to investigate without us.” 

“At least she’s helping Komaru,” Kyoko said. 

Phoenix showed them the photo album and note, then explained about the handbook and Mukuro’s room. 

“Man, why can’t we get handbooks, pal?” Detective Gumshoe whined. 

“I don’t think that’s the point here,” Edgeworth sighed. “Mukuro Ikusaba has information from our most important cases and evidence from the crime… this is not good. Her talent did make her a natural suspect.” 

Edgeworth’s frown got deeper and deeper, and Kyoko crossed her arms and looked frustrated. Kyoko remembered the testing fluid and took out the hoodie, motioning for Phoenix to spray it. He did, and the jacket was awash in blue splotches from blood presumably washed off. 

“Guess that settles it,” Gumshoe sighed. “This Mukuro girl is the culprit, pal.”

“Damn it,” Kyoko swore. “Ikusaba was getting better. I thought she was… I don’t understand. She likes Makoto, and she has nothing against Hagakure. This whole setup… but everything points to her.” 

“I really do think she likes Mr. Naegi,” Edgeworth said, looking at Mukuro’s photos. “Just look at these photos. She is looking at him with such fondness in every photo. Maybe… Makoto was an accident to frame. Think about it. Makoto is an outlier. Celeste and Toko are acquired tastes, but Makoto is unanimously liked. His frame up was the most up to chance. He could’ve easily never gone to Hiro’s room, and stuck by the gym. He could’ve never touched the knife. There are so many variables in his frame up… maybe Ikusaba never meant to implicate him.” 

Kyoko’s eyebrows furrowed. “That’s plausible. However, I’m just not sure, there’s something here that I’m not sure about. I don’t know what… but this feels… incomplete. How did Mukuro know about Makoto and Hiro’s study session? If she did and exploited it, this would have to be intentional, despite the risks mentioned. Why Hiro in the first place and not Makoto? Why the Monokuma mask?” 

Phoenix’s eyes widened with realization. “We need to confront Makoto, he’s got the answers. If he’s covering for Mukuro, it’s about time we found out why.” 

Edgeworth’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Why would Mr. Naegi cover for the murderer? He’s the one on trial!” 

“I-I don’t know,” Phoenix admitted. “He said he isn’t defending the murderer… but… we need to talk to him.”

Kyoko nodded. “Make him understand that Mukuro isn’t his responsibility. Make him realize that she hasn’t offered anything up yet. Makoto isn’t being malicious… but his faith and hope in others can’t sink this case like this. We need him to come clean. I believe you guys have the tools to make that happen. We’ll keep looking here.” 

“Don’t worry,” Pearl said, rolling up her sleeve. “We can totally make that happen! We’ll get the truth, because we have the magatama, and Mr. Nick!”

A sudden shouting echoed from the other side of the door, and Phoenix cringed. It seemed like the ultimates were still fighting, and he’d have to walk in the middle of them to get out of it. Detective Gumshoe cringed and gave Phoenix a pitying look. Edgeworth sighed, but looked relieved to not be leaving. Kyoko shook her head before getting back to examining the evidence, though she was clearly bothered by the fighting. Phoenix left them the bottle of luminol fluid, he reasoned he’d gotten his use out of it, and now he didn’t need to go to Criminal Affairs. Maybe, the ultimates won’t notice us leaving, Phoenix thought. Who am I kidding, he thought as he neared the door, the shouting only grew louder, making him even more apprehensive.

******************************************************************************

May 2nd

Hallway

“Hey, you two need to fuckin’ cool it!” Mondo yelled, and Maya rushed to cover Pearl’s ears. Phoenix gave Maya a concerned look, shaking his head. 

“They’ve started again,” Mukuro said as she popped up behind them to gesture at Leon and Byakuya, making Phoenix jump several feet in the air. “They’re fighting about nothing… what is it?” Mukuro’s eyes narrowed as she looked at Pearl, who was pointedly glaring at her. 

“It’s nothing!” Maya said, also looking rather nervous. “Pearl just is… uh,” 

“She is scared of me, correct?” Mukuro gave Pearl a cool look, and her features unexpectedly softened. “I was a soldier at her age. I had a similar looking stare.” Phoenix could swear he saw a hint of a smile playing at her lips. Phoenix remembered what Sayaka said, about her being part of a mercenary group. Just what was her deal?

“You were?” Phoenix asked shakily. “What army did you fight for? If you were really that young-” 

Mukuro’s face hardened. “It is a long story. Not now.” Before Phoenix could continue to ask questions, Junko came bounding up. 

“Hey, you guys!” Junko grabbed onto Mukuro’s arm, and Mukuro grew rigid again. It is odd how Junko is so unafraid of her soldier sister, Phoenix thought. It was almost admirable how cheerful she was in the face of all this. Admirable, yet a tad unsettling as well, though at least she wasn’t as intimidating as Mukuro. Junko elbowed Phoenix. “You guys are missing the action!” Junko gestured to Leon and Byakuya. 

Phoenix took a look around, and he noticed that Chihiro was back, and now Kiyotaka was the one who was gone. Mondo was trying to hold Leon back, but he looked too angry to even hear Mondo’s yelling, which was impressive. Phoenix noticed Mondo was wearing Kiyotaka’s armband, and he was probably trying to do Kiyotaka’s job, though he didn’t seem to be nearly as efficient about it. Sakura was moving to try and talk to Byakuya, but Toko (who must’ve come out of her room) glared at her in response, Hina rolled her eyes and muttered something to Sakura and shook her head. Hifumi looked petrified of any conflict, and Celeste looked rather tired, rolling her eyes at the antics of her classmates. Chihiro looked like he was going to be sick, and Sayaka had a gentle hand on his back, and she worriedly locked eyes with Phoenix. 

“Take it back,” Leon growled. “Now.” 

“No,” Byakuya said rather succinctly. “I am not wrong. The killer could really be any of us who were alone that night. It could easily be Fujisaki despite h-” Byakuya glanced around, and saw Phoenix. “-her stature. It could be Ikusaba, or even Celeste.” 

“Haven’t we been over this?” Celeste sighed. 

“Yes, but how did you get that other card? It surely didn’t fall out of the sky.” Byakuya shook his head. “Anyway, I even said it could be you or Maizono, Kuwata. Think about it. You two vouch for each other, while one of you slips from the music room to commit the murder, for the briefest time. You say you’re going to get snacks or sheet music. Hell, this crime could have easily been the work of an accomplice-” 

“You’re really going to fucking accuse me, and even Sakaya?! Sayaka was the first one in Makoto’s corner, while you were trying to buy off his defense! And I’m one of Hiro’s closest friends!” Leon’s face grew red with anger, and the class began to murmur. Leon’s hair seemed to bristle, and it made him look like he was going to be lit aflame in rage. 

“How much money did he offer you, Wrighto?” Junko whispered to Phoenix. Mukuro glared and elbowed Junko. 

“What about you, asshole?” Leon crossed his arms. “You were alone for a while after you ditched Toko, and you could’ve easily done it, and you know Toko or Jill or whatever would cover for you. You act like you’re above us-” 

“-Leon,” Mondo warned. “He’s not fuckin’ worth it. Drop it. Now.” Mondo tried to get Leon to walk away, but Leon slapped his hand away. 

“No, you’re wrong. You’re so angry at being called out, you can’t think straight. You can’t accept the truth.” Byakuya said, rolling his eyes. He maintained his cool, detached demeanor. “As far as I’m concerned, Makoto is one of the only smart people here. Why would I get rid of him instead of someone I didn’t care about? Everyone knows my alibi about the library, including Makoto and Toko, and no one but Maizono can vouch for you.” Byakuya glared at Leon, as if he were tired of having to state his case, and Leon was a mere child. “Quite frankly, I wouldn’t be caught dead around Yasuhiro in any capacity regardless. Unlike you, I would have no idea of a study session to exploit. You did know about it, making you a prime suspect. Though that session did no good anyway. He couldn’t even leave a cohesive dying message, or even cry out when being attacked. Useless. He’s like so many of you, a good for nothing-” 

A sudden  _ whack  _ rang out. Leon’s fist (along with its many rings) made contact with Byakuya’s face, sending the heir crumbling to the floor. Byakuya clutched his cheek, a bruise already forming. 

“Master!” Toko shrieked, and she ran in front of Byakuya. “I-I won’t l-let y-you touch h-him!” Toko glared at Leon with surprising forcefulness. 

“Fukawa,” Sakura moved to step between her and Leon, but Toko brandished her craft scissors at her.  Toko swiped the scissors at Sakura out of reflex and fear, and Sakura’s skin was barely grazed. Still, Toko had swung them with enough force to draw blood. It was barely there but-Toko squeaked and fainted, though Sakura herself seemed unfazed and merely used some of her bandages on her arms to cover the scratch. Jill stood up with a laugh and began to swing the scissors again, and this time Hina glowered and stepped between them protectively. 

“Don’t you dare threaten her!” Hina glared at Jill. 

“Get any closer to my Master and you’re gonna be ribbons, Milkmaid!” Jill crowed.

“Everyone just fuckin’ stop!” Mondo yelled, and he gave Leon a shove, which was probably not the right call. “Ya need to chill the fuck out right now!” He glared at Leon. “Ya can’t fight Fukawa, she’s a girl!” 

“She’s Jill, a homicidal bitch!” Leon shoved Mondo aside, which only incensed the biker into shoving him back. The two began to shove with increasing force, until Leon punched Mondo as well, leading Mondo to shove him to the floor. Leon merely got back up and shoved back, though Mondo had clearly overpowered him that time.

“Guys! Please,” Chihiro ran up to the two boys despite looking scared, but Mondo and Leon were so concerned with each other, they took no notice of Chihiro, leading to Mondo accidentally knocking the tinier man to the floor with a stray arm when he got too close. Chihiro fell, Alter Ego flying out of his hands. Mukuro dove out, barely managing to catch the computer. Sayaka ran to Chihiro, who was now cradling his arm. 

“Nick, I think he landed on it wrong…” Maya looked at Phoenix with trepidation. “What should we do? They’re not listening, no one is-Pearl!” 

Maya yelled in alarm as Pearl ducked between the fighting to get to Sayaka and Chihiro. Mukuro, who was holding the laptop, handed it to Junko before racing after Pearl. She scooped up the tiny medium, who was about to be in the crosshairs of Jill swinging her scissors wildly and hovering over Byakuya like a protective harpy (despite Sakura’s efforts to calm her and Hina’s growing anger) and ran with Pearl in her arms, placing her gently by Sayaka and Chihiro. Pearl looked as surprised as Phoenix felt. Phoenix felt confused. How could she murder Yasuhiro in cold blood with the same hands that ferried Pearl to saftey? 

Junko clutched onto Phoenix’s arm as her eyes flitted from scene to scene, Leon and Mondo yelling at each other, Jill slashing towards Sakura and Hina yelling at her, Byakuya cradling the growing bruise on his cheek, Celeste looking on in distaste, seemingly losing her appetite for her tea and Hifumi clutching at her sleeve in terror. Pearl and Sayaka were now helping up an injured Chihiro with Mukuro standing by, and he was at a loss. What could he even say to stop them? Byakuya stood up with a scowl, clearly preparing to start hurling insults. Maya was frozen well, gripping Phoenix's other arm, and she just wordlessly pointed to where Franziska and Komaru were walking up. Komaru looked at the scene in shock, and Franziska frowned, shaking her head. 

_ Crack. _

_ Crack. _

_ Crack. _

Phoenix saw the whip fly, and heard the pained yells of the ultimates it was aimed at. Leon and Mondo stopped fighting, Jill’s craft scissors were whipped out of her hand, Hina yelped, and Byakuya’s bruise was now twice as bad. At the very least, Hifumi, Celeste, Sakura, Sayaka, Chihiro, Mukuro, and Junko had been spared. 

“Oh!” Jill looked at Franziska with a blush, her tongue curling in delight. “That was…” 

Mondo was the second to regain his composure. “What the-” 

“-Silence, you foolish fools!” Franziska glowered at the ultimates, and it grew quiet enough to hear a pin drop. “Don’t you fools see you are playing right into this killer’s hands?! You are all acting like fools. You all sit here and engage in foolish squabbles with each other, while the true killer is merely watching and thriving on the chaos. This person is trying to divide you all, and slip by. You are all ultimates, yet you are acting foolish, like chickens with your heads cut off.” Franziska’s grip tightened on her whip. “If you really were the best of the best, you wouldn’t fall for such an obvious trap. Is this all it takes to take down an ultimate?! I have heard so much about Hope’s Peak, about how it is a school for bright prodigies who come together to change the future… but all I see are petulant fools. Show this killer that they have not won. Stick together, and the guilty party will stick out, as they will be the one who thrives on division, and your unity will help to defeat them. If you can even manage it.” 

“Please,” Komaru pleaded. “Makoto wouldn’t want this at all.” 

“I-I will,” Chihiro’s voice tentatively wobbled. “I’m sick of everyone suspecting each other, when only one person is guilty. W-we can’t all stop trusting each other, and I’m sick of everything that’s been going on. I miss Makoto and I just want everything to be normal-” 

“-We all do, and I’m with you.” Sayaka placed a hand on Chihiro’s shoulder, careful to avoid his arm. “If we stick together like Makoto would want us to, the killer won’t win.” 

“I agree,” Sakura said, nodding. “We must close ranks and cooperate.” 

Hina nodded, and offered a hand to Jill, albeit with some hesitance. “I’m sorry I yelled at you,” she said. 

Jill looked at her, sticking her tongue out and crossing her arms. “I understand. You were just protecting Cherry Blossom. You girl on girl people get tough…. I like it.” Jill grinned with her elongated tongue, eyeing Franziska and her whip. Hina sighed and scuffed some dust from the hallway with her shoe. Jill sneezed. 

Toko looked at the martial artist, who had her arm around Hina, realizing what had happened. She flushed with embarrassment. “I-I j-just… didn’t w-want M-master to be h-hurt.” Toko looked over to where Leon was, and glared. It seemed the tension wasn’t totally gone. 

“Shit, Chi, your arm!” Mondo’s eyes widened as he saw Chihiro cradling his arm. “What happened?” 

“Uh, you did, Mondo,” Junko piped up, still holding onto Phoenix’s arm. Phoenix could feel her fake nails digging into his suit. “You and Leon were busy shoving each other, and Chihiro tried to stop you, and you accidentally shoved her into the ground. Luckily, Mukuro saved Alter Ego. I’m sure Taka will be thrilled with you.” 

Mondo’s face twisted with guilt. “I-I’m real sorry, Chihiro, I would never hurt ya like that...” Mondo couldn’t even look at Chihiro, and he silently took off Kiyotaka’s armband, clearly not feeling deserving of the trust Kiyotaka had given him. “I’m sorry Leon…” Mondo looked at Leon briefly. “I shouldn’t have shoved ya like that. I shoulda kept my cool.” 

Maya cringed next to him, and gestured to Leon, who was avoiding Mondo’s gaze. Phoenix could see guilt splayed across Leon’s features as well. “I’m sorry too,” Leon mumbled. “You would’ve kicked my ass anyway…”

“I’ll take ya to the nurse,” Mondo offered to Chihiro, still cradling his arm with a wince.

“I forgive you,” Chihiro said, managing a small smile and accepting Mondo’s offer. The two walked off towards the nurse’s office, Junko handing over Alter Ego on the way. 

“I’m going too,” Leon said rather suddenly, his face turning beet red, as he hurried to catch up with Mondo and Chihiro. He probably doesn’t want to face the fallout with the rest of the group yet, Phoenix reasoned, and he had been one of the key people acting out as well. He probably felt really guilty. 

Celeste sighed. “I believe it is best if we disperse and cool off,” she said. She walked off, Hifumi in tow. 

“Thank you for leaving me the sole male survivor of your rampage, Miss.” Hifumi bowed to Franziska as he left, who rolled her eyes. It was at least nice to see Hifumi not only keeping Chihiro’s secret, but showing his ability to grovel to any woman who scared him enough.

“Byakuya looks… rattled, Nick,” Maya gestured to where Byakuya was wordlessly walking away, still looking stunned. Toko was running after him, but he didn’t even seem to notice. 

“Man, I’m glad I didn’t get whipped,” Junko quipped, finally letting go of Phoenix’s arm. “Hey, Wrighto don’t you think this face is too pretty to get whipped?” 

“Yeah, it would be a shame,” Maya said, before Phoenix could say a word. Junko grinned, but Phoenix instead turned to where Pearl was walking over with Sayaka and Mukuro. Franziska was heading over as well, but Komaru was held up. Komaru was talking to Hina and Sakura, who seemed to be saying something nice, at least, judging by Komaru’s face lightening. The swimmer and the martial artist took their leave as well, and Komaru headed over. 

“Hey,” Komaru said to Junko and Mukuro, the last two remaining, “Do you guys mind giving us some space for a minute?” 

“Oh, for sure.” Junko grabbed onto Mukuro, whose eyebrows furrowed, like she wanted to protest. “We’ll be around.” She walked off with Mukuro close behind, and Phoenix could’ve sworn she saw Mukuro glance briefly at Komaru, then at Pearl, before turning to her sister. 

“We were coming to share our findings with you, Phoenix Wright.” Franziska said. “We just followed the yelling, because you have a tendency to cause mayhem wherever you go.” 

“You’re not wrong,” Phoenix sighed. “You, uh, really got upset at those guys.” 

“Someone had to break it up!” Komaru said, coming to Franziska’s defense. “Besides, you weren't doing anything. You were standing there next to the fashionista and Maya, and you looked like you’d seen a ghost. Franziska and her whip really showed them!” 

“I wonder if Makoto would approve of the whip,” Maya mused. 

“That one girl,” Franziska said. “I’d hoped that I’d never have to talk to her other vulgar personality again… and I am troubled that she took such pleasure from being whipped. That was meant to be a punishment.” 

“Not for Jill,” Maya sighed. 

“Let’s just talk about the findings,” Phoenix said. He really just wanted to get to Makoto now, and get out of the school. 

“Well, it wasn’t much,” Komaru admitted. “There was a lot of clothes and other crap, but we took note of the hoodies in his closet…. Makoto needs some variety in his wardrobe. Could you imagine wearing the same thing every day?” 

“Uh, what did you find?” Phoenix said, trying to ignore his blue suit. 

“I had Komaru make a sketch of the closet,” Franziska showed a manga style drawing of the closet, with the hoodies. There were three hangers empty, the rest had the hoodies. “I wrote on the back the sizes and colors of the hoodies. They are all the same.” 

Phoenix took the paper. “If this is what’s missing, then that means the three hoodies must be: the one Makoto is wearing now, the bloodied one from the first trial, and the last one worn by the true killer!” 

“Yes, but who would that be?” Franziska said. 

“Go to Edgeworth in the gymnasium, he’ll tell you,” Phoenix said, not wanting to go through everything a second time. 

“Was this helpful?” Komaru asked. 

“It is,” Phoenix nodded. “Thanks.” 

“As long as it helps my brother,” Komaru said, suddenly looking serious. “You’re going to talk to him, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, we are.” Maya said. 

“Well, good luck.” Komaru managed a small smile. “Sometimes Makoto has a tendency to hold stuff in. Speaking as his sister, it’s kinda annoying.”

“My little brother is the same way,” Franziska said. “Komaru Naegi, will you be staying any longer?” 

Komaru shook her head. “I should be getting home… I’ve memorized the path I used so the press outside our house won’t see me. Thanks so much for helping me, and I’ll look for you tomorrow!” 

Franziska's lips curled into a small smile, and she offered Komaru a handshake. “I look forward to seeing you, Komaru Naegi.” Franziska released Komaru’s hand before heading into the gymnasium. 

“So, want to ride the bus with us?” Maya asked. 

Komaru nodded. “Sure! You guys seem like fun.” 

Maya grinned and tugged Komaru towards the front gates, Pearl following. Fun certainly was a word he could use to describe them, Phoenix thought. He certainly wasn’t having fun right now, though, and he had a feeling his day wasn’t about to get any better. In fact, this would be the toughest part, because he was about to face off with his own client.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Court Record
> 
> Headmaster’s Statement  
> [A statement given in writing by Headmaster Kirigiri detailing basic rules of Hope’s Peak. Also talks about cameras.]
> 
> Autopsy Report  
> [Approximate time of death April 29th, 9:50 PM. Victim suffered from multiple stab wounds of different length, along with head trauma. Died from blood loss.]
> 
> Miscellaneous Shards  
> [Broken shards thought from a crystal ball belonging to Yasuhiro Hagakure. Used to injure the victim.]
> 
> Blood Stain Photos  
> [Photos of the blood stains covering Yasuhiro’s floor. The placement of the blood is quite odd.]
> 
> Knife  
> [A rather peculiar knife that was found in the victim’s room, covered in his blood. Has fingerprints belonging to Makoto Naegi.]
> 
> Justice Card  
> [A card from Yasuhiro’s deck labeled: Justice. Has a bloody drawing, along with a rather neat ‘M’ on the card.]
> 
> Yasuhiro’s Note  
> [A note written by the victim, saying that he’s leaving his door unlocked for a studying session.]
> 
> Oh! Cult Flyer  
> [A poster detailing a getaway at Hazaraka Temple and a chance to learn about the Kurain channeling technique. Found in Yasuhiro Hagakure’s room]
> 
> Dormitory Layout  
> [A diagram of where all the students’ dorms are, along with the positions of the cameras in the hallway. Made by the AI, Alter Ego. The camera’s fields of vision have been shaded in by Kyoko.]
> 
> Map of Hope’s Peak  
> [A map of the overall campus of Hope’s Peak made by Alter Ego. It is rather large.]
> 
> Makoto’s Hoodie  
> [A rather comfortable looking brown hoodie belonging to the defendant. It is stained with the victim’s blood.]
> 
> Kyoko’s Testimony  
> [Talks about Makoto’s condition the night he was arrested. It’s rather concise.]
> 
> Kiyotaka’s Testimony  
> [Makoto had a 7 minute period to leave the room. Also, he had the knife on him before Yasuhiro was moved.]
> 
> Toko’s Manuscript (Redone)  
> [A rough draft of Toko’s manuscript of her latest novel idea. It features a character remarkably similar to Edgeworth, and another similar to me. She is rewriting this… and it is my fault.]
> 
> Tarot Card Book  
> [A beginner’s guide to Tarot. It lists all the cards in the tarot deck, along with their meaning.]
> 
> Hiro’s Tarot Card Deck  
> [The tarot cards belonging to the victim. Two are missing, Justice and Three of Swords]
> 
> Photos of Hiro’s Room  
> [Photos taken by Leon Kuwata showing the state of Hiro’s room before the murder.]
> 
> Princess Piggles Camera  
> [Camera belonging to Hifumi Yamada. Contains pictures taken on the night of the murder.]
> 
> Milk Carton #1  
> [The current milk in the fridge. Was opened on the night of the murder, presumably by Celeste.]
> 
> Milk Carton #2  
> [Found in the trash in the gymnasium. Was opened by Hifumi, evidenced by the handwriting on the carton.]
> 
> Toko’s Scissors  
> [Found in the trash can in the gymnasium. Blood residue and faded, unidentified fingerprints were found on the scissors.]
> 
> Three of Swords  
> [Missing tarot card belonging to Yasuhiro Hagakure. Has a rather sinister meaning. Found in Celeste’s room.]
> 
> Celeste’s Testimony  
> [Celeste saw a hooded figure disposing of something bloodied and silver in a trash can in the gymnasium.]
> 
> Bloody Shard  
> [A formerly white porcelain piece from a teacup Celeste threw at me. I used it to cut my hand.]
> 
> Toko/Jill’s Testimony  
> [Toko saw a bloody figure in a hood with black and white. Jill saw Makoto afterwards, and he was clean.]
> 
> My Handbook  
> [A handbook made for me by Chihiro Fujisaki. It gives me access to everyone’s rooms, though I feel rather nosy sometimes when I use it.]
> 
> Makoto’s Photo Album  
> [A collection of photos taken of Class 78 throughout the years by Makoto Naegi. They were happier then.]
> 
> M’s Note  
> [A note found in Makoto’s album telling him to go to the gym. It is signed with the moniker, M]
> 
> File Papers  
> [The papers from the files that were missing from the library, found in Mukuro Ikusaba’s room. They talk about some of my most personal cases.]
> 
> Missing Hoodie/Assailant’s Hoodie  
> [Found in Mukuro’s Ikusaba’s room. Has trace amounts of blood all over it.]
> 
> Crystal Shards  
> [Glass shards matching those from the crystal ball. Found in the drawer of Mukuro Ikusaba.]
> 
> Mukuro’s Photos  
> [Two lone photos. Makoto and Junko.]
> 
> Monokuma Mask  
> [Four fragments found in the gymnasium trash cans to make a Monokuma mask. Has a bit of the white half broken off, bloodied.]
> 
> Shredded Gloves  
> [Gloves that were shredded by the killer. Found in the gymnasium trash with crystal shards.]
> 
> Red Chip  
> [Weird shape of something attached to one of the gloves. What is it?]
> 
> Sketch of Makoto’s Closet  
> [Drawn by Komaru. Shows Makoto has three missing hoodies. Has sizes and colors on the back.]


	9. Day 3- Investigation 2 (Phoenix)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final investigation comes to a head as Phoenix must piece together the evidence he has and confront his own defendant to finally uncover the truth. Can he do it, or is it too late to save Makoto?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said this was going to be early? Yeah, good times. Sorry that this was published on Sunday, and later in the day as well. I ended up really doing a lot of editing and additions to this chapter, as this is the final investigation of this series and I wanted to give it a proper due, and allow for character interaction. This was a blast to write, and if anyone can guess my favorite location from this chapter, you get a gold star. 
> 
> P.S. I'm only putting the evidence found in this chapter in the court record because I'm pressed for end note space and it's in the past chapter if you want the full list.

May 2nd

Detention Center, Visitor’s Room

The bus ride was mostly small talk with Komaru. She went on about some of the embarrassing stuff Makoto did when they were kids. Phoenix found himself managing a laugh or two with some of the stories, and he appreciated it. Komaru was refreshing to talk to, in that she wasn’t part of Hope’s Peak Academy. It got awkward when Maya started talking about some embarrassing stuff he’d done, though luckily the bus dropped Komaru off before Maya could humiliate him too much. Finally, they’d made it, and Phoenix’s good mood dissipated. The greys of the detention center and the coming questioning gave Phoenix a spike in nerves. Maya placed a hand on Phoenix’s shoulder and gave him an encouraging smile. They walked in to find Makoto talking to Kiyotaka, the latter listening attentively as Makoto talked. Makoto looked happy to see Kiyotaka, at least. 

“Taka, we need to talk to Makoto,” Maya said. “You can, uh, either wait outside or go back to school.” 

“I believe I should go back,” Kiyotaka said. “I am worried about missing a potential incident in my absence, as I must admit, it is rather tense.” 

“It’s uh, a little late for that,” Phoenix said bashfully. “There was a whole incident already… Byakuya said some things and Leon retorted and punched him-” 

“-then Mondo tried to stop him!” Pearl said, “-But then they ended up shoving each other and then Chihiro got hurt, and Toko was waving around those kiddie scissors, oh! And then Jill showed up and Prosecutor von Karma-” Pearl stopped, seeing the horrified looks on both Kiyotaka and Makoto’s faces. “It’s uh, over now anyway,” Pearl said. 

“I have to get back right away!” Kiyotaka bolted out of the room, and Phoenix could see the worry in his face. Knowing him, a lot of people were about to be getting detention. 

“So it reached a boiling point…” Makoto frowned. “I-I wish I could talk to them.” 

“It was resolved,” Phoenix said, trying to put him a bit at ease. “At least for now. They’re calming down. Anyway… I think it’s about time we talked.” Phoenix gripped the magatama, and the psyche-lock flew into place. 

“I told you, I’m not covering for the murderer!” Makoto said. 

“You are covering for someone, though. And they could very well be guilty,” Phoenix replied. 

“Who would I even be covering for?” Makoto asked. 

“Mukuro Ikusaba,” Phoenix answered, maintaining a firm grip on his magatama. 

The psyche-lock rattled, and Makoto’s eyes widened, but he maintained his cool, and the lock remained still. “Mukuro?” he asked. “Why would I need to protect her?” 

“There’s evidence all over that points to her,” Phoenix said. “Firstly, we got your photo album-” Makoto’s eyes widened, “-there was a note inside of it signed by M, like on the justice card, telling you to meet them by the gym. Mukuro’s name starts with M.” 

“There are other things that start with M,” Makoto fired back. “It could just have nothing to do with this.”

Phoenix shook his head. “No, it specifically said she was returning a hoodie to you on the night of the murder by the gym, where the bloody hoodie was seen, and Celeste did mention the hooded figure looked similar enough from where she was to be you. It would only look that way if the hoodies were similar. It has everything to do with this. Also, we went to her room-” 

“-How could you even get in there?” Makoto questioned. 

Phoenix showed him his handbook. “I’ve got access to every room thanks to this handbook Chihiro made me, and I found this,” Phoenix showed him the missing hoodie, which looked like the one Makoto was wearing. “This hoodie matches your other ones, and compared with the layout of your closet, you’re missing three hoodies, the one you’re wearing, the one you wore on the murder, and this one. Furthermore, there was glass from the crystal ball clinging to this hoodie, meaning it was also by the crime scene! It was tested for blood, and it was awash in it!” 

“Someone could’ve planted it in her room,” Makoto said, desperation starting to line his face. “That’s probably all you found because it was a blatant planting of evidence by an outside force that just happened to choose her room and break in!” 

Phoenix shook his head sadly. “No, you wouldn’t be able to break into a room without a handbook, and Mukuro never mentioned hers being stolen. There is a slight gap at the end of the door, but not nearly enough to fit a jacket under… and the jacket was hidden in a drawer. Only Mukuro could’ve hidden it in her own room. Also… there were several files missing from the library yesterday about me…” Phoenix paused and took a breath, and Makoto tensed with anticipation as a single bead of sweat rolled down his temple. Phoenix continued, “...and I found them in Mukuro’s room as well. She hid them in her bed and pillowcases. Makoto, it’s not just you she’s after.” 

“She’s not after me, or you!” Makoto’s face grew angry for what Phoenix thought was the first time. Byakuya had literally tried to buy off his defense, but Makoto hadn’t gotten mad, but when Phoenix was going after Mukuro that was the last straw, and Phoenix found that baffling. “I-I don’t know how those files got in there… or where the folders are-” he gestured to the loose papers, “-but it couldn’t be Mukuro. Think about it! Does Mukuro seem like the type to even plan something so elaborate? She’s serious and practical, if she wanted something done, she’d just do it, not come up with an elaborate plot to involve you! She’s not interested in that kind of stuff and I doubt she even knew your name before any of this happened!” 

Phoenix paused. Makoto had a point, he realized, thinking back to Mukuro’s room. Her plain and drab room, barring the essentials. She didn’t seem like the extravagant type at all. Still, he couldn’t let up now. Makoto was close to cracking, his psyche lock was shaking as it began to fracture… though now he felt uncertain, as Makoto’s psyche lock continued to resist his arguments. He looked back at the evidence he had, scanning the photo album Makoto wanted so badly, desperate to make the evidence come together. Suddenly, his eyes flew to the photo of Mukuro, and he froze with shock. He should’ve seen it before. Maya gasped, and he knew she saw it too. 

“Here’s my answer!” Phoenix looked at Makoto and took a deep breath. “Makoto… you knew she had something to do with this from the beginning…. from the moment you walked into the crime scene and saw this piece of evidence.” Phoenix looked at Makoto, whose eyes were locked into his. Phoenix took out the knife, and Makoto’s eyes widened. “This knife handle matches the one in this photo, in this sheath. The handles are an exact match.” Phoenix took out the album and pointed to the photo in question, and Makoto went pale, his ahoge slumping. “We’ve had Mukuro’s knife this whole time, but we didn’t know it. You did. Between her wearing gloves on the night of the murder, and you getting your prints on it, it marred any possibility of getting her prints… and it makes sense she’d use her best weapon to kill. She is the ultimate soldier after all. Everything points to her, Makoto.” Phoenix looked at Makoto, who desperately clutched at his hoodie, sweat rolling down his face, his teeth gritted in frustration, as if he were trying to come up with a rebuttal. 

He looked close to tears, and Phoenix almost wanted to stop questioning him. His psyche-lock was cracking and rattling, like it wanted to break, yet there was a thread of desperation keeping it together. The desperate belief in his friend, despite the evidence piling up. He could see the toll this case was taking on him, this secret especially weighing on him, and Phoenix remembered how it felt to be in that position. In that chair, defending someone he thought he could believe in: her false kindness, beautiful red hair, and pleading eyes putting him in a trance and puppeteering him into sabotaging his own chances. Mukuro didn’t seem like that but-

“-Please, Makoto,” Maya pleaded. “Komaru even gave us this album because she just wants you to tell the truth and finally put yourself first. She said she wanted to help you… and disobeying you was how she could do that. She knows this is crazy! Kyoko said you should come clean too, because Mukuro can take care of herself… and I know Kyoko wants you to go free more than anything!” Maya continued, not letting up on Makoto for a second. “The class needs you to come clean, so this can be put to rest, and Hiroko needs to know Hiro’s killer. Like we said, this secret isn’t helping anyone, in fact, it’s only hurting everyone! This uncertainty is turning everyone else against each other… Makoto… there might not be a unified class to save if you don’t stop protecting her.” Phoenix could see Maya was getting worked up too, and he remembered she’d spent time with the ultimates before he ever did. She probably hated seeing them unravel like they did, he thought, and she’s partially blaming Makoto. He knew it too, Phoenix thought, as he saw Makoto clutching his sleeves, unable to meet Maya’s gaze. 

“Makoto,” Phoenix felt his own stomach churn with guilt and sympathy, seeing the increasing distress on Makoto’s face as his ideals seemingly crumpled before him as he processed Maya’s words. He knows she’s right, Phoenix realized. He found himself speaking despite his desire to never think about this memory again. “I protected someone I loved on the stand once too,” he slid Makoto a few of the file papers, and Makoto scanned them. “I was young, stupid, and I was in love. This girl… she nearly got me to poison myself on the stand. She didn’t care about me, yet I wanted to take the fall for her. Mukuro has made no effort to try and help us or confess to anything. Her alibi was vague… and it was probably a lie. She’ll leave you out to dry… so please don’t make the mistake I did. Don’t let her do this to you.” 

Makoto looked at the papers, and he sighed, and his eyes were watery. He wiped at them desperately, and cleared his wilting hair from his face. “I-I,” he clutched the papers as a stray tear slid down his cheek. “You really think it was her… and I thought if I tried to hide everything I knew… it would help you guys overlook Mukuro… but it made everything worse. I hurt everyone because of this one lie. I’m sorry.” Makoto hung his head. “I just wanted to help her, because I know something isn’t right.” Makoto’s psyche lock finally shattered, and the chains cleared away to reveal his forlorn face. He wiped desperately at his eyes, trying to regain his composure.

“Let’s start with the events leading up to the murder,” Phoenix said gently. 

Makoto nodded, and took a deep breath. “I got a note from Mukuro early in the day to meet by the gym in the evening. I stuck the note in the album under her picture so I wouldn’t forget. I also got roped into studying with Hiro, so I wrote her a note back… that I hid too-” 

“-Seriously?!” Maya said with an eye roll. “Where-” Maya stopped talking as Makoto adjusted his cuffs to reach into the waistband of his pants and pulled out a note. A bloodsoaked note. “Oh, ew!” Maya cringed. 

“Sorry,” Makoto said. “The police were coming, and I had to hide it somewhere. It was in Hiro’s room. It was by the knife when I picked it up-” Makoto sighed, and handed Phoenix the note. 

Phoenix took the note and squinted to read it. It read: _To Mukuro, I am planning on studying with Hiro later tonight with just us (he’s kinda behind), but I’m still on for meeting you by the gym! I’ll just meet up with Hiro a bit later to curfew. I look forward to seeing you! Also, if you want, you can study with us too, but I don’t want you to feel like you have to if you don’t want to. -Makoto_

“So she knew, and you knew that would incriminate her for sure,” Phoenix said. “You took this note because it would’ve led us to her way faster, and we could’ve figured out the knife too. Instead, we focused on your prints and it led us on a totally different path, the one you wanted… at first.” 

Makoto nodded sadly. “I-I don’t know… I thought she’d try to say something to you about the knife… anyway, I was hanging around the gym, and she never showed up, which made me feel nervous, but I also wanted to check up on Hiro. I left the gym around 9:20, and I saw Byakuya go to the library and I wanted to head after him for a bit and I started to, but then I figured he’d want to be alone, because that’s who he is,” Makoto shrugged. “Then I heard this cry, so I raced back down the hallway to see Jill just getting up, and I pointed her to Byakuya, and from there I went to the dorms. I did turn back, because I had this gut feeling that I should go back to the gym to see Mukuro, but… I just decided to ask her why she’d ditched me tomorrow,” Makoto’s face fell. “I went to Hiro’s and ended up there at around 9:45, and maybe a bit later… and I saw Hiro. He was gasping for air, and he was on the ground… covered in blood,” Makoto’s eyes pricked with tears, but he forced himself to keep going. 

It made Phoenix ache to see him like that. No kid should have to see what he had, go through what he did. He was around the same age as Maya when she’d seen her sister dead on the floor of his office, Phoenix thought with a pang in his chest. 

Makoto shakily continued. “I-I moved him to the wall to try and save him, but I could feel him fading, and it was too late. If I’d just gone earlier and not worried about Mukuro I could’ve saved him-” Makoto wiped at his eyes again, as tears began to fall. “I could’ve saved him. He was my friend, and I let him die because I-I couldn’t make up my mind quick enough… and then I covered for the person w-who caused it-” 

“It’s not your fault,” Phoenix said, his own voice beginning to shake. He wanted nothing more than to comfort Makoto, but there was a barrier between them, so he had to sit and watch as Makoto cried. “You did try and save Hiro, and you had no way of knowing what happened. What mattered is that you tried, and in his last moments, Hiro didn’t die alone. You were there for him, Makoto. This is not your fault.” 

Makoto managed to take a few shaky breaths and wipe his eyes. “You really think so?” 

Phoenix nodded. “I really do. You’re a good kid.” 

Makoto looked at Phoenix and managed a small, watery smile. “Thanks. You’re… uh, the best lawyer I’ve ever had.” 

Phoenix chuckled. “Hopefully, I’ll be the only lawyer you’ll ever have to have.”

“This is really touching, but, uh, Makoto, your testimony?” Maya said. 

“Sorry!” Makoto’s ahoge seemed to perk up as he sat up. “Anyway, I saw the glint of the knife, and I moved to look at it, and I saw it there, along with the note. After I read it, I saw the knife and picked it up… I started to think about what could’ve happened. Before I could do anything, I heard a yell, and it was Taka. He ran out of the room, and I knew I had to act, and I just hid the note and looked around the room instead of running… I just knew, I had this feeling Mukuro was being set up.” 

“Wait, what?” Pearl furrowed her eyebrows. “But all the evidence points to her!” 

“Not all of it,” Makoto said. “I finally wanted to tell you guys everything, because I saw your evidence and the trials only helped me see more… and I just know you’re wrong! Mukuro really is a good person, she’s one of my closest friends, and it doesn’t make sense. I thought about it while I was in Hiro’s room, and I thought more here,” Makoto crossed his arms. “Like I said, this is all way too extravagant for someone as practical as Mukuro, and that only was proven more during these trials with the other framings. Also, why would she take an interest in you guys at all? It’s unnecessary, she isn’t the type for mind games. Plus, why would she bother to dispose of the scissors and not the knife? If the logic in saying that Toko was framed is that she wouldn’t use a weapon that leads to her, then that should also apply to Mukuro!” 

Maya frowned. “But she’s the ultimate soldier-” 

“-But she specializes in knives like these,” Makoto said, gesturing to the knife. “She told me about it, it’s a survival knife. She could’ve easily taken a kitchen knife or another weapon not nearly as linked to her. Plus, she has no reason to kill, and no reason to frame me. Hiro and her didn’t interact much, but when they did it was always pleasant. Plus, she’s been getting more social and outgoing as the years pass… look at the photos!” Phoenix looked, and he could see that she did progressively get happier as the album expanded. “Plus… that isn’t all the evidence. You’ve found other things, right?” 

Phoenix nodded, and mentioned the Monokuma mask and shredded gloves. Makoto’s eyes widened, and he began to mutter to himself, as if he were lost in thought. 

“Earth to Makoto!” Maya said. 

Makoto snapped up. “Show me those photos on Hifumi’s camera. I only saw them briefly when you showed them in the trial, and I want to see something… it was something I thought I saw.” 

Phoenix raised an eyebrow, but began to cycle through the photos. 

“Hey,” Pearl said. “Junko’s not wearing her regular clips,” Pearl pointed to the picture, where Junko was wearing a bunny clip in one pigtail, and a red bow in the other. It was odd she wouldn’t wear the Monokuma ones, considering how much she loved them, Phoenix thought. 

Makoto looked at Phoenix with a brewing realization in his eyes. He looked almost nauseous. “For your magatama… when you questioned Mukuro, and she presumably passed, what exactly did she say to you?” 

Phoenix closed his eyes and thought back. “She said that she was watching _Warriors of Hope vs Despair_ and Junko was playing cards with Celeste and Hifumi. I didn’t think about it, because the magatama didn’t pick up on it, but she was really vague. Why would you bring that up?” Phoenix gestured to the photos. “Is there something wrong?” 

“Yeah, because that’s not Junko,” Makoto said, pointing to apparently not-Junko in the photos. He sighed and buried his head in his hands. “I should’ve put this together sooner. That’s her smile,” he pointed to the picture of not-Junko grinning with the peace sign, and compared it to the picture of Mukuro doing the exact same pose. 

The smiles were identical… and Mukuro and Junko weren’t identical twins. Phoenix looked at Maya and Pearl, both of whom looked stunned. 

Makoto sighed and continued to speak. “Mukuro technically wasn’t lying, and that’s how she pulled it off. She was watching the show, and Junko,” Makoto made air quotes as he said her name, “was playing cards. She never said who Junko really was. This was never Mukuro’s idea… but she did have something to do with it. She’d have to for this to work. I bet she was told about the magatama and how to beat it. She’s been getting better but there are some things that won’t change easily…” Makoto paused, as if his next words were something he couldn’t take back once they were spoken. “... like her loyalty to Junko.” 

Phoenix felt like a rock had lodged itself in his throat. “What do you mean?” he choked out, but his gut was already telling him exactly what Makoto meant. 

“It means that Junko is the one who did this,” Makoto said. “She had Mukuro take her place in these photos, giving herself a solid alibi during the murders. I wonder if she acted oddly… Mukuro isn’t the best actress. Junko probably took the files to read up on you, and figured out how to beat the magatama and told Mukuro. Also, if you look at the photos,” Makoto flipped through the camera roll, “Her hand goes into her pocket around 9:23, our at 9:25, but it is in her pocket for the rest of the photos.” 

Phoenix snapped his fingers. “She’s got a tattoo on her left hand, and she must be trying to hide it!” 

Makoto nodded. “Exactly. It’s a wolf from Fenrir.” 

“Fenrir?” Pearl asked. 

“It’s the group she used to be a mercenary for. She was uh, recruited by them at a really young age. It’s a touchy subject, and I don’t know if I should really talk about it…” Makoto looked pensive, but he sighed and continued. “Anyway, I wanted to bet she had foundation from Junko on her hand at first to hide it, like with her freckles,” Makoto pointed out Mukuro’s freckles in his photo of her, “but then she reached into her pocket to get something… which I think was the three of swords. She’d put it in the deck while Celeste was gone so she wouldn’t notice, and Hifumi is too busy watching the show. However, it smudged the foundation when she rustled around in her pocket,” Makoto pointed at a small point on Junko-no Mukuro’s-hand, and zoomed in to reveal the smallest black line on her hand, no doubt the start of her tattoo, “-so she had to hide her hand for the rest of the night. All I don’t know is how they switched back… or how Mukuro has your files. I don’t think she would take them. I think that has Junko written all over it. After all, these are just papers, where are the manilla envelopes?” 

Phoenix placed a hand under his chin. “It makes sense that Junko would have the beauty supplies to makeover Mukuro. It also makes sense that Mukuro’s talent of being the ultimate soldier would get put to use with stealth of stealing Toko’s scissors to give to Junko or slip the card to Celeste, and she probably stole it from Yasuhiro in the first place. Also, Junko has been-” Phoenix froze with realization. 

“What is it?” Maya asked. “Nick, it’s already unbelievable enough that someone as cute as Junko could be so evil!” 

“She called me Wrighto…” Phoenix said, placing his head into his hands. He couldn’t believe he’d been so blind. “Three times. Once before the trial yesterday, and twice during the fight. Gant constantly called me that, and it’s in the file’s transcript of his testimony. She was dropping hints about having the missing files the whole time… and I missed it. Mukuro never said anything related to them, so Junko must’ve at least started out with them. And the Monokuma mask… she’s a Monokuma fanatic. She’s toying with us. She wants everyone to fight… but I don’t know her motive.” Phoenix held his head in his hands. “You wanted us to see that it wasn’t Mukuro… but did you always suspect Junko?” 

Makoto gave Phoenix a sympathetic look, and he shrugged. “I wasn’t certain,” he admitted. “After all, everyone knew the blind spot camera path. Hiro taught the whole class. It’s just one of those things,” Makoto looked at the photo album with a sad smile, “It’s one of those things that makes me have faith in the rest of my classmates, you know? They were all close enough to share these kinds of things and help each other-” 

“Yeah,” Maya said. “Chihiro said something similar when he told us his secret. Now that I think about it,” Maya furrowed her eyebrows. “Kiyotaka wasn’t open about his relationship with Mondo at first, but everyone kept that a secret too… though it was pretty obvious. At least to me, and uh, Edgeworth. Nick took a minute, though.” 

Makoto smiled. “Yeah, that’s right. You know, they actually used to really hate each other. Stuff like that trust in the class, and changing attitudes just shows how much closer everyone has gotten over the years, and why this whole thing is hitting so hard. Everyone is here in these photos, and I’ve seen everyone open up, and there is so much good or potential for good in everyone! You can see as the years go by, everyone getting closer. That’s also why I did it. I didn’t want anyone to lose hope in each other… even if I was the casualty. But, I didn’t want the murderer to get away. Now that I know it’s Junko, and she’s been lying to everyone for so long,” Makoto’s eyes flashed with determination and Phoenix could see a spark of anger as well. “I want her to go down. She killed my friend, and she’s trying to tear apart the others. I don’t know why yet, or why she’d rope Mukuro in… but she won’t get away with it!” 

Phoenix shook his head. “No she won’t! I’ll make sure of it!” Phoenix said, giving Makoto a determined look to match. “I won’t fail you, and I hope you have faith in me to prove your case for you.” 

Makoto nodded, managing a smile. “I have total faith in you,” he said. “I even have a place you can start, Monokuma’s Party Palace, a few blocks away. Junko likes to shop there, and I bet that’s where she got the mask. She uh, got me a Monokuma hoodie for my birthday from there… I returned it though. It was huge on me. See if you can get proof she went there to get the mask.” 

Phoenix nodded. “Good idea.” He stood up. “We’ve got to go. Stay strong, Makoto. You’re almost a free man. As long as we can get Junko to confess, the court will have the guilty party and you can go free.” 

Makoto nodded. “I will… and I’m sorry for lying. I should’ve trusted you off the bat, and I should’ve had faith that you guys would go down the right path. Mukuro didn’t do it… but she was involved, and I overlooked that because I just thought she’d really changed and I covered for her but… I just made a mess-” 

“-you were protecting a friend. You believed in her,” Phoenix said with a fond sigh. “I can’t say it made things easy for me… but I understand why you did it. You had a hunch… and it’s right. We’re going to prove it for you.” 

“You can count on us, dude!” Maya said, grinning at Makoto, and slapping her hand against the glass as a sort of high-five. Makoto hit the glass back, as a high-five as well. 

Pearl waved at Makoto, and he began to wave as well. Suddenly, Makoto’s posture grew rigid, and his smile grew forced. Phoenix followed his line of sight, and saw the twins standing in the doorway. Mukuro was stoic as ever, and Junko had that manic grin on her face. A while ago, Phoenix would have found that endearing. Now it disgusted him. 

“Hey, Wrighto!” Junko beamed. “We’re here on the Makoto visit rotation!” 

“It’s nice to see you,” Mukuro’s attention immediately went to Makoto, and she sat to face him. Junko still looked at Phoenix, as if daring him to make a move.

“Hey, go on back to the school,” Makoto said, maintaining a casual tone. “I think I get your point.” 

“Okay,” Phoenix said, trying to mask the concern in his voice. “Just stay strong.” 

Makoto nodded as Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl walked out. Phoenix felt a chill wash over him as the doors shut, leaving Makoto alone with the killer and her accomplice. 

******************************************************************************

May 2nd

Monokuma’s Party Palace

Well, this place sure is unsettling, Phoenix thought. The three walked into Monokuma’s Party Palace, which was a building shaped like a giant Monokuma head, with the teeth opening like doors. Plastered across the doors were posters of Monokuma bashing and defeating Usami. No wonder Junko liked this place, Phoenix thought with an eye roll as he stepped inside to look at the Monokuma merchandise. The artist’s signature on the Monokuma posters looked familiar and he started to squint at it-

“-Nick! Buddy!” Phoenix turned towards the voice with a resigned sigh, and sure enough, he was face to face with Larry Butz. 

“Larry?” Maya said, raising an eyebrow. “What are you doing here… and what are you wearing?” Maya gestured to Larry’s ridiculous getup, which consisted of a giant Monokuma hat covering his head, Monokuma bowtie, black and white pants, and a white button up with a red vest plus his nametag. Larry still wore his bright orange jacket, and it clashed horribly with the rest of his outfit. 

Larry sighed. “It’s really embarrassing, and it’s the uniform all of us employees have to wear. See, I was commissioned to draw that art you see out there-great, right! Laurice Deauxnim is hitting his stride! Anyway, I got roped into working here on the side, and the manager is kind of a grump and my coworker is a total airhead, but almost no one comes here anyway, so it could be worse.” 

“Why does no one come here?” Pearl asked. “I don’t like Monokuma much either, but these plushies are cute!” Pearl hugged one, and it talked in Monokuma’s annoying voice. “Give into despair. Puhuhuhu!” Pearl shrieked and dropped the plushie. 

“That’s why,” Larry sighed, picking up the plushie and placing it on the register desk behind him. “Monokuma is a depressing character, and all his merch is depressing! Working here is depressing! The Usami Party Palace across the street has way more business! This place gets so little business, there are only three of us working here!” 

“Where are the other two, then?” Maya asked. 

Larry rolled his eyes. “Akane is the girl over there eating ramen while doing a headstand,” Larry gestured to a girl wearing a similar getup to Larry’s and standing on her head, and she seemed so in the zone, she had yet to notice them. Phoenix could see that her buttoned shirt was rather askew, and she looked rather disheveled. She had several bruises on her arms, and Phoenix raised an eyebrow. Maya sniffed in the air and grinned, mouth watering as she eyed the ramen. “She’s always eating,” Larry sighed. “I don’t know how she’s not sick.” 

“She uh, looks pretty beat up,” Phoenix said, eyeing her with concern. “Did something happen?” 

“She just came from practice,” Larry sighed. “She and her coach-oh, he’s really terrifying, Nick-got into this huge fight right outside the shop and started throwing punches and stuff!” Larry tugged at his Monokuma cap. “And get this, right as it looks like Akane is about to die, they just laugh it off and Akane tells him to train even harder for next round. They do this all the time, Nick! I’m just afraid she’ll challenge me someday!” Larry flipped through his sketchbook and showed Phoenix a picture of a rather muscular man fighting with Akane. “That’s her coach, Nekomaru,” Larry explained. “He’s uh… terrifying. He said hi to me once, and I hid in the break room until he left I was so scared!” 

Phoenix sighed and closed the sketchbook. “Larry, this is really off topic-” 

Larry continued anyway, as if he didn’t hear Phoenix. “-Hinata is in the breakroom. He’s the manager, and a big grump. I think it’s because he’s here with Akane and I all the time and no one else shows up except Nekomaru when it’s time for him and Akane to fight.” Larry crossed his arms. “Apparently those three used to go to that school you’re working at before they graduated, and they’ve always been talking about the trial. We watch the coverage on the break room TV. Hinata is always coming up with theories, and Akane and I can’t keep up… speaking of… Akane said I was weak a while ago and Nekomaru agreed… you think I’m tough, right, Nick?” Larry flexed a nonexistent muscle, and Phoenix rolled his eyes as Maya and Pearl laughed. Larry pouted.

“Yeah, uh, anyway…” Phoenix said, not caring about Larry’s weird coworkers, “Did anyone come by to get a Monokuma mask recently?” Phoenix took a Monokuma mask off the shelf, eyeing it closely. 

“Yeah!” Larry said. He blushed and broke out into a dopey smile, his arms retreating into his jacket sleeves. “My Junie was the latest one to get one a few days ago. She’s the shining light of this place. She’s always around, and she’s so beautiful… you better not be plotting against her, Nick!”

Oh god, she's a model. Phoenix was hit with the horrifying realization that Junko was exactly Larry’s type. The exasperated look on Maya’s face signaled she’d come to the same conclusion. Even Pearl shook her head and sighed.

“Do you mean Junko, Larry?” Phoenix asked. “She’s, uh, in school still you know.” 

“Oh, Nicky,” Larry grinned. “I know. Junie and I just met a few weeks ago when I started working here, but she told me she’s a fashionista and she’s graduating some fancy school soon.” Did he not realize that she went to the same school in the news, Phoenix thought. Larry continued, blushing and fiddling with his bowtie. “She promised me a date, and she said I looked cute in my Monokuma hat! She’s so great, I’m sure she’s the one!” 

“Larry, no one could look good in that hat… though I will say that Akane girl over there is kinda cute, even with the hat.” Maya said. “She was probably lying to you.” 

“No!” Larry yelled. “My Junie would never! She wouldn’t lie to me after I gave her that mask!” 

Phoenix felt a headache coming on. “Larry, you gave her the mask… for free?” 

“Yup!” Larry grinned. “She said she didn’t want to deal with the hassle of a receipt, and being a gentleman, I agreed to give it to her on the house… though I don’t know why she’d want to cover her face. She’s perfect, Nick. Perfect!” 

Phoenix felt sick. His former best friend was not only drooling over a murderer, but he was also helping her hide a paper trail. Maya smacked her head with her hand, muttering something about how Larry was a sucker for pretty girls. 

“Larry, has she bought anything else here?” Phoenix asked. 

“No way, Nick! Not while I’m here! I’m not about to make a girl as beautiful as the ultimate fashionista pay for anything like a commoner!” Larry yelled, his sharp teeth flashing. 

“Larry, she’s totally suckering you!” Maya said. “She’s taking everything and not offering a single thing in return!” As Maya said that, her arm smacked the Monokuma plushie Pearl had flung away. “It’s Punishment Time! Prepare to be Executed!” the plushie laughed, and Phoenix wondered how this place was even still open. 

“Isn’t this supposed to be a kids’ show?!” Phoenix exclaimed. “I don’t remember anyone getting executed!” 

“That’s because you never watch closely, Mr. Nick,” Pearl stated matter of factly. “Remember what happens to the Warriors of Hope that defect to Monokuma, but fail to defeat Usami?” 

“They get punished,” Maya explained. “It’s a kids show, so it just shows them being flung into this cartoonish pit with an obstacle that’s supposed to be meaningful to their character in some way, and at the end, they explode into glitter, and that’s supposed to be like the kiddie version of telling us they died.” 

“That’s what that meant?!” Phoenix couldn’t believe he’d agreed to watch this show with Edgeworth. 

“You didn’t know that? Jeez, Nick.” Larry rolled his eyes, making Phoenix feel even dumber. “Here, I can show you.” Larry moved to get a DVD from the case behind Akane, but he knocked her over in the process, and ramen spilled everywhere as Akane hit the floor. 

“Hey, Harry! What did I tell you about watchin’ where you’re goin’?!” Akane looked at her spilled ramen and gave Larry a glare that was downright murderous. 

Larry whimpered. “It’s Larry…” he sulked. “You can never get my name right.” 

“I don’t care about your name, you spilled my food,” Akane growled, and Maya stepped in and dragged Larry away, who was frozen in fright. “Who knows when I’m gonna get more?!” 

“I’m sorry about your food,” Maya said. “I’m uh, Maya Fey… an associate of Larry’s. I know what it’s like to love food… like the juiciness of a good burger… or the perfection of a nicely cooked bowl of ramen, oh, or a great donut-” 

“-You’re just makin’ me more hungry!” Akane said, practically drooling. Phoenix felt his palm connecting with his face yet again once he saw Maya was drooling as well, thinking about the food. 

“Sorry!” Maya apologized. “We just needed to talk to Larry about the latest episode of _Warriors of Hope vs Despair_ and we needed the DVD. Please let us poke around the store and… uh… don’t tell your manager that we’re here. This is supposed to be lowkey. If you do, I’ll totally buy you dinner on Nick’s dime! I know a great burger place we can go!” 

“Wait, what?!” Phoenix exclaimed, clutching his wallet in terror. 

Akane grinned, and extended a hand to Maya. “I’m Akane Owari, and it’s a deal! I’m totally down to get a burger with you… you seem like the type who knows good food! I’ll keep Hajime busy!” Akane grinned and wrote down something on the Monokuma brand pad and paper on the register desk and did a rather impressive backflip into the breakroom. “Hajime! Hajime! Fight me!” Akane said, her voice muffled from the door shutting, and Phoenix suddenly felt very sorry for this Hajime guy. 

Maya sauntered back over to the group. “You’re welcome,” she winked at Phoenix, who sighed. “Hey Nick,” Maya said with a grin, showing off the paper with Akane’s number on it, “I think I just found my dream girl. She’s got a real appetite.” 

“Try to curb that appetite until after we’ve solved the murder,” Phoenix sighed, knowing that Maya and Akane’s appetites would lighten his wallet significantly. 

Larry put the DVD into the slot on the TV, which previously had been playing a highlight reel of Monokuma’s best moments. The episode started, and Phoenix found himself sandwiched in between Maya and Larry as the episode went on. He saw the manager, Hajime, trying to see what was going on outside, but a blur that he could only guess was Akane tackled him. Phoenix winced and looked back at the TV, ignoring Hajime’s groans of pain. 

The episode started with Monokuma’s traitor being found out and ousted from the Hope Warriors, which based on Maya and Pearl’s gasps, wasn’t who’d they’d expected. To be fair, Phoenix didn’t even remember the character’s name. 

“Not Selene,” Pearl whined. Phoenix wondered if Edgeworth thought the same thing. 

Larry fast forwarded to Selene’s punishment which involved her traversing through a large story book, as her character revolved around her love for books, only for Monokuma to close the book, and a puff of glitter emerged from the book. Phoenix realized that was the kiddie version of someone being crushed to death by a giant book, and he felt queasy that he’d been casually watching this without a clue. The rest of the episode went on, Monokuma ranting about despair and how much he loved seeing it as he repainted Usami, and Usami fighting back about how hope always wins as she and her remaining warriors defeated Monokuma. All in all, Phoenix wasn’t sure what he’d just watched, but Maya and Pearl seemed enthralled. 

“Man, we should really go across the street and buy some Usami merch, Nick!” Maya said. 

“Hey Nick, you think you could buy this episode DVD for me?” Larry said. “I’m uh, in trouble for giving away a lot of stuff to Junie… and Hinata is probably going to fire me soon… even though Akane is even dumber than me and she’s always fighting and training instead of doing work! I swear if they didn’t know each other she’d be so out of here-” 

“-Larry, if Junko never even paid you why should we have to-” 

“-But she did!” Larry snapped his fingers and rustled around under the desk of the register to the lower compartments. “She told me to keep this a secret between us, but I have to tell you, to defend the honor of my Junie! When she bought the mask, she gave me this as payment!” Larry emerged from the register desk and showed off a photo of Junko on the cover of a fashion magazine. An autographed photo. It said: _Larry, thanks for the free stuff! -Junko. XOXOXO_

“Larry,” Phoenix said, “I need that photo, and I’m going to need an affidavit from you saying that she gave this to you when she purchased the mask. Please. Do that… and I’ll buy the DVD.” 

Larry furrowed his eyebrows, and seemed to weigh his options. Please Larry, Phoenix thought. Please don’t let your weird and concerning crush on Junko sink my case. Phoenix was tempted to tell Larry that Junko would more likely rip his head off then date him, but before he could, a voice rang out from the breakroom. 

“Larry, give him the photo, now. Or you’re fired. I’m sick of you giving stuff away, and if I take any more money out of your salary, you won’t be getting paid at all,” Hajime Hinata rasped, staggering out of the break room in disarray. “You’re lucky I distracted Akane with more food. Now I don’t have lunch. And you guys know what… these walls are thin! I heard everything the whole time and Akane beat me up for nothing!” 

“It’s Larry, Hinata,” Larry whined. “Hey, speaking of, why does Akane get to call you Hajime and not me?” 

“Akane doesn’t give away our merchandise to fashionistas with big and apparently murderous egos!” Hinata fired back, fixing his now torn red vest. “I’m this close to firing both of you and running the place by myself…” Hinata mumbled something about how Akane could use the money, and how if he fired Larry there wouldn’t be anyone to make free posters. “Larry, just give it to them. I hate seeing this happen to my and Akane’s old school. And Mr. Wright, I presume, good job I guess. Keep it up, we’ve been following the trial.” 

“Uh, who’s we?” Phoenix asked. “And uh, are you going to be okay?” 

“We are my class that already graduated, we’ve all been talking about the case,” Hajime sighed. “Everyone’s really shocked. Everyone liked Makoto well enough, he was a good kid, and Yasuhiro seemed odd… but I didn’t think he’d uh… get murdered. It’s awful. He gave me a totally inaccurate palm reading once, and it’s weird that it’s the only thing I’ll ever really remember about him now.” Hajime adjusted the remains of his Monokuma hat with a grim expression before glaring expectantly at Larry. “And I’ll be alright. Not the first time I’ve fought Akane, though I’m tempted to send Larry in there to see how he fares.” Knowing Larry, he’d probably be surrendering in a second, Phoenix thought with a small smile. 

Larry groaned and pulled his Monokuma hat over his face. “Not Akane, please! I guess I have no choice,” he pouted as he handed the autographed photo to Phoenix, and wrote the affidavit with a look of guilt on his face. “You don’t think Junie will be too mad at me, right Nick? Will this screw up my chances?” 

“Larry,” Phoenix sighed, “You’re really better off finding someone else… and I’ll buy the DVD. You could use the money to find a better job… and Maya and Pearl liked the episode.” Phoenix put a few bills on the counter before taking the DVD as well. 

“Yeah, Junko is a piece of work,” he heard Hajime say. “Total diva. Don’t worry by the way, Mr. Wright, I won’t tell anyone you came here. And neither will Larry if he wants to keep his job.” 

Larry sighed. “Are you even going to tell Akane? She’s distracted with food now, but she’ll want to know-” 

“-NO, definitely not.” Hajime said. “Knowing her, she’d probably break into the school to fight the killer...” 

“She did say that yesterday…” Larry said. “Nick, she said you and Edgeworth should fight to see whose case wins.” 

“No way!” Phoenix said. 

“That does sound fun,” Maya admitted. Of course you’d say that, Phoenix thought with an eye roll. 

“Aren’t you the one who Akane just agreed to get dinner with?” Hajime said, pointing at Maya. Maya nodded with a grin. 

“You, uh… better pick a place with a lot of food options. She’s uh… a fun person though. Have fun… and uh… good luck.” Hajime seemed to bite back a small smile, and he pointed them to the door. “You guys should go before she finishes lunch.”

“Thanks,” Phoenix said with a nod, as he began to walk to the door. Pearl followed, eager to get out of the depressing shop. 

“I’ll see you around Akane,” Maya called out to the break room as she left. 

Akane said something he couldn’t make out, as the door was shut and Akane’s mouth was presumably stuffed with food. Maya blushed and grinned, waving as they left. 

“You understood that?” Phoenix said. 

“Yeah, easily,” Maya said, as if Phoenix was dumb for not understanding. “She said she’s looking forward to hamburgers and she liked my robes.” 

Phoenix sighed in relief as he walked outside. Quite frankly, he’d be content if he never stepped foot in that shop another day in his life. He did feel bad for Hajime, though. Spending his days working in that depressing place with only Akane and Larry for company didn’t seem easy at all. 

******************************************************************************

May 2nd

Hope’s Peak Academy-Main Gate

Back again, Phoenix thought. The gates seemed just as tall and all-consuming in their darkness as they had at the start. It helped that they had a clear suspect, though Phoenix wasn’t too comforted. He wondered if Mukuro and Junko were still at the detention center, and if Makoto was okay. What if they somehow caught onto the fact that Makoto knew about them and tried to kill him? Calm down, Phoenix, he sighed. There are guards at the detention center for a reason. 

“Mr. Wright,” Celeste was walking up to them with Hifumi by her side, and she snapped her fingers in Phoenix’s face. “Have you seen Hagakure’s ghost around here? Is that why you look so nervous and distraught?” 

“Uh, no,” Phoenix said. 

“That is a shame,” Celeste sighed. “Maybe if you died from fright, maybe Miss Mia would have some company in the afterlife… though she did say it is a void of nothing. Maybe she merely said that because she didn’t like me.” 

“Of course she didn’t!” Maya said with a glare. “My sister is a good person, and she could see that you weren’t. You’re nothing but a liar who tried to sell out her friend!” 

Celeste didn’t respond, instead frowning and crossing her arms. Phoenix was a bit stunned at her lack of a retort. Mia’s rejection and harsh words still bothered her, he realized. She really did think highly of Mia, even if she’d yelled at her in court. Celeste quickly adjusted herself and faced Maya with a haughty expression. 

“I do not need to justify myself yet again to you,” Celeste’s lips curled with distaste, and what Phoenix could’ve sworn was a hint of jealousy. 

“Yeah!” Hifumi added. “Mistress Lundenberg does not need to justify herself to you D-Rank humans!” 

“I’m not a d-rank!” Pearl pouted, and moved to kick Hifumi in the shin, though Phoenix gently plucked her away before that could happen. 

“If you don’t mind,” Phoenix said, “Could I ask you both some questions about your fellow students?” They were the ones who’d been with a disguised Mukuro, Phoenix reasoned. If anyone could attest to her behavior, it was them, though he had to ask in a way that wouldn’t clue them into his true thoughts. “I just thought,” he said, “As a gambler. Celeste, you’re used to picking up on cues, so you’d notice, especially at a time like this, I’d think of you as one of the students to keep a cool head.”

“Ah,” Celeste preened. “You’re trying to weed out our murderer. I suppose I could tell you about something odd, though I doubt it will help you. You must do some of your own work, after all. Miss Mia is no longer here to steal for you.” 

“Yeah,” Phoenix said, playing to Celeste’s ego. “I, uh, am kind of at a loss right now.” Phoenix bit back a small smirk. It was almost funny. 

“Hifumi,” Celeste said to the doujin, “Don’t you remember what I said about Junko yesterday?” Hifumi shook his head, and Celeste rolled her eyes. “I said she played way worse than usual,” Celeste sighed. “I normally enjoy playing cards with Junko because we can talk about fashion and she is not always an easy beat. She has the ability to put on personas that make it harder for me to read her when we play. I will confess, I have lost but one game to her, which makes her better than anyone at this school, even that arrogant Togami. However, that night, she was very preoccupied, and made brash and stupid moves. She played with her hair at any sign of tumult in the cards and she focused more on prodding Hifumi to take photos,” Celeste sighed. “That is yet another reason I left for tea. I was extremely disappointed in her mindless plays. It was like I was playing a different person.” 

“It was strange!” Hifumi said, his voice becoming comically deeper for a moment as he stuck his finger in the air as a form of mock discovery. “Junko kept on insisting on pictures for some reason,” Hifumi’s voice was back to its usual nasal quality, “I don’t know why, and it took up so much space on my camera and I was trying to watch the show! When the headmaster came down to summon us after Makoto was taken away, Junko said she was going to get Mukuro, and left me to go to the dorms where everyone else was, and she was back a few minutes later, and Mukuro came after.” 

So this confirms Makoto’s theory, Phoenix thought. Mukuro really is a terrible actress. Phoenix found himself starting to wonder why Junko hadn’t just made Mukuro commit the murder unless-had Makoto lied to them again? No, the magatama would’ve picked it up… and Phoenix believed in Makoto now. He wouldn’t lie again, not after hearing about its consequences on the class. Maya and Pearl were impressive in that they also kept their poker faces while listening to the two, despite knowing that they’d just discovered exactly what they were looking for.

“Anything else?” Phoenix said, trying to make it seem like he was interested in the others, just to throw Celeste and Hifumi off. 

“Well,” Celeste placed a hand under her chin, “After we were all gathered, and the headmaster was trying to console us all, the majority of the class was distraught. Kuwata started this sort of chain reaction with his desperate tears when he saw Hagakure’s body being carried out,” she pursed her lips as Maya’s gaze turned sympathetic and she hung her head. Phoenix remembered her mentioning she’d met Yasuhiro and Leon together, and it was yet another painful reminder they’d been good friends. 

“Anyway,” Celeste looked at Maya with a form of exasperation, “I noticed there were only a few exceptions to this wave of tears. Fukawa wasn’t there, Togami didn’t even seem phased, and Ikusaba was stoic as well. Togami seemed to be looking around similarly to me, and Ikusaba was focused on comforting Junko.” Celeste furrowed her eyebrows. “Anyhow, these three were all rather blatant exceptions to the rule.” 

“But you-” Celeste glared at Hifumi, and he shrank back. “Of course, Miss Lundenberg herself was shocked, but she is no crier.” Hifumi said, hastily correcting himself.

“Could you guys write an affidavit for me?” Phoenix asked. “Mention everything you just said, please. We won’t make you guys testify.” 

“Hmm… I wonder, is that what you told Fukawa?” Celeste smiled at Phoenix, though he could see the smugness. That Toko move had cost him credibility, he sighed. 

“She didn’t give us an affidavit,” Maya said with a smile. “If you do, it’ll save you a lot of trouble. Here, you can use these,” Maya took out a Monokuma notebook and Monokuma pen. She must've swiped them from the store, Phoenix realized. Poor, Larry. 

“Oh, you must have some… similarities to your sister if you were able to fit those down your robes,” Hifumi said with a blush, beginning to drool as he eyed Maya. Celeste hit him upside the head with the notepad, and Hifumi pouted. Maya sighed in relief, and Phoenix cringed disgustedly.

Celeste sighed and began to write, shaking her head with a hint of a smile. Hifumi offered to write, but Celeste elbowed him aside, talking about how ugly his handwriting was, and only allowed Hifumi to sign his name on the statement below hers. 

“There, now we are both liable,” she said with a smile, as Hifumi’s eyes widened in terror. “Now then, I have grown tired of you, and I believe I have helped you more than I ought to. Mayhaps my perception is what you needed… though I would bet you have more of that than I think you do, if earlier today was any indication. Good luck Mr. Wright… Makoto is in good hands.” Celeste’s eyes bore into Phoenix as she handed him the affidavit. She then turned and walked off with Hifumi close behind. 

Phoenix gripped the affidavit, and smiled. He had what he needed, and he didn’t need the second part, which Celeste probably thought was more important. Maybe, he thought, there was a small part of Celeste that felt bad for betraying Makoto, and this was her way of making up for it. What would he know though, as Celeste said, he isn’t as perceptive as her. Phoenix nearly laughed, but it wasn’t time to let his guard down now. He was getting close; he just needed a bit more evidence. He gripped his handbook. It was about time to visit the belly of the beast, and he hoped that Mukuro and Junko were still at the detention center. We’re almost there, Makoto, Phoenix thought. 

******************************************************************************

May 2nd

Junko’s Room

“M-M-M-Monokuma!” Pearl gasped, gesturing all around them. 

Phoenix was at a loss for words, and his heart pounded in his ears. Dozens of Monokuma plushies seemed to be staring at him, all with that evil red eye and twisted smile. The walls were covered in Monokuma posters, and he could see some of them were the drawings Larry made. 

“At least she really likes Larry’s artwork,” Maya offered weakly. It was obvious she was pretty perturbed as well. 

There was a vanity in the center of the room, with multiple makeup pallets lying around. Phoenix picked up one with various skin tones of foundation, reasoning that could be evidence of her ability to makeover Mukuro. The vanity mirror in the center of the structure was adorned with pictures of Monokuma with sayings like: _Give into despair! Hope is weak! It’s punishment Time!_ There was a singular picture of Usami with the original message of: _Don’t give up, believe in each other!,_ but Usami was colored over with a red marker, and Phoenix realized she’d drawn in the exact paint job Monokuma had forced on Usami the latest episode, and crossed out the words so that the picture spelled: _Give Up! You won’t believe in each other!_ Phoenix tucked the Usami picture in his jacket, shivering as he felt that ominous slip of paper touch his jacket. Based on what he knew about Junko, she’d definitely notice at some point, he’d just have to hope it would be before he left the school. 

“Mr. Nick… this place… it’s starting to scare me,” Pearl bit her thumb and looked around anxiously, and sat on the bed. The Monokuma plushie she sat next to began to laugh. “Puhuhuhuhu!” Pearl shrieked again and opened the nearest drawer to toss it in and yelped again. 

“Shhh! Pearly!” Maya pressed a finger to her lips. “I know that Junko’s… obsession freaks you out, heck it’s really starting to freak me out too but-” 

“-No!” Pearl shook her head and pointed to the drawer. “Look!”

Phoenix and Maya walked over and looked where Pearl was pointing. Inside was… hair? A pile of blond hair lay pooled inside the drawer. Hesitantly, Pearl plucked it out to reveal a messy blond wig. Upon closer inspection of the drawer, it was full of hair clips, but this was the only wig. Phoenix turned to the vanity again, this time not distracted by the presence of Monokuma, and he saw several head busts with different blond wigs of various styles and lengths. Why was this one different? 

“It’s tangled,” Maya said, taking the wig and inspecting it. “These types of tangles happen to me when I twirl my hair, though I don’t do it that often… anymore.” 

“Celeste did say the Junko with them twirled her hair while playing cards,” Phoenix inspected the wig further. “Another way this could get tangled is if it was balled up and maybe hidden away on the night of the murder. Maybe Mukuro did that when she switched back as Junko? But where would they hide this? And-” Phoenix looked into the drawer, and saw the familiar bunny clip and red bow. Both of them had a few blond strands clinging to them. 

“This has to be the wig Junko used to disguise Mukuro,” Maya said. She gestured to the other wigs. “These other ones have different and more elaborate styles, and I bet that if you brushed out this one, it would be more basic, and easier to style in Junko’s cute pigtails.” 

“Not cute, evil!” Pearl frowned. “I knew someone with evil Monokuma hair clips can’t be good.” 

“She really was a cutie though,” Maya frowned. “I guess that’s why I liked her at first. She just seemed so… fun.” 

“She seemed upbeat,” Phoenix said with a sigh, placing the wig and clips into the court record. “That should have been our first warning if anything. This case… no one should recover that quickly after the death of a friend. Byakuya, Toko, and Celeste weren’t upset, but they weren’t happy either. Junko… I think she enjoyed seeing everyone else in pain.” Phoenix felt nauseous. The more he found out about Junko, the more he began to see the true evil lurking behind her bouncy demeanor, and he hated himself for falling for it. 

“Let’s just keep looking,” Maya said, placing a hand on Phoenix’s shoulder. “She fooled everyone. Let’s make sure she’s exposed for the fraud she is tomorrow.” 

Maya moved towards the vanity mirror with an air of determination, and he saw her stop in front of the mirror. Her eyes grew wide as she picked up a wooden Monokuma figurine. “I’ve seen this before…” Maya held it in her hands. “This was Hiro’s. On the night I came to the school, as a thanks for channeling his brother, Mondo gave me an Usami figurine he carved. He had a matching Monokuma one, which he gave to Hiro. As far as I know, they’re the only ones he made.” Maya turned to Pearl. “Pearly, do you still have the Usami figurine?” 

Pearl nodded and reached into her robes and produced the figurine. Maya nodded and flipped the figurine over, to reveal the initials M.O. on the back. She did the same to the Monokuma figurine, and the same initials were there. 

“On the way home from Hope’s Peak,” Maya explained, “I realized Mondo put his initials on the carvings, and he had mentioned they were some of the first carvings he’d done. That’s why it looks less… polished than the other merch here. Ironically, I think it makes it cuter.” 

“Would that mean Junko stole this from Hiro’s room on the night of the murder?” Pearl asked. “She must have seen it and wanted it, because it’s a Monokuma themed thingy she didn’t have… it’s basically limited edition!” 

“Not to mention it’s a souvenir from a successful crime,” Phoenix said. “If anything, Monokuma is like her calling card… but how can we prove that she stole this from Hiro, and didn’t just get it from him? After all, you gave your figurine to Pearls.” 

Maya frowned. “We could...uh… oh!” Maya snapped her fingers. “Nick, we have the pictures Leon took of Hiro’s room before the murder. He said they weren’t helpful, but I bet this little Monokuma figurine is so small, it wasn’t noticeable at first when he and Kyoko looked at the photos. Even if it was, it probably wasn’t important enough to be considered a clue!” 

Phoenix got out the photos Leon took. He squinted, having a hard time looking at them. 

“Here,” Maya sighed, opening a drawer on the vanity. “A Monokuma themed magnifying glass… she really has everything, doesn’t she?” 

Phoenix took the magnifying glass and looked again. This time, he spotted the faint dot on Hiro’s dresser, and upon closer inspection, it was the Monokuma figurine. He did have it, and this proved it was missing. The photos of his room after the murder confirmed this, as the tiny figurine was no longer on his dresser. This was proof, he reasoned. Monokuma was about to be Junko Enoshima’s downfall. 

“We found the proof,” Maya said, plucking the magnifying glass out of Phoenix’s hand and putting it away. “But we should keep looking in case there’s more.” 

Phoenix managed a nod and continued to search, placing the figurines in the court record. The three members of Wright and Co. continued to wade through a sea of Monokuma. Junko’s obsession went into a territory Phoenix didn’t think was possible, every type of Monokuma merchandise a person could have was here. She’d written scripts for episodes, countless rewrites where Monokuma beats Usami. Crueler punishments for the fallen Hope Warriors. Phoenix felt sick as he took a copy about the latest episode, with the rewrite of Monokuma plunging the world into an endless despair, spreading the glittery remains of Usami and the Hope Warriors throughout the city. He didn’t know how anyone could write something so twisted, as the despair, brutality, and hopelessness leapt off the page at him. He suddenly found himself wishing for a copy of _Passion of the Paladin Prosecutor_ to calm him down. 

“Nick, I uh, found something weird in her trash,” Maya said. She beckoned Phoenix and Pearl over to where she had plucked out a singular fake red nail. Phoenix remembered Junko was wearing those same nails now, they’d dug into his suit mere hours before. As far as he remembered, she had all ten.

“It’s chipped, barely,” Phoenix said, using the Monokuma magnifying glass. “The weird thing is that there is only one nail, when you’d think she’d change all her nails. Odds are this is important.” Phoenix put the nail in the court record, though it felt a bit gross to be touching it. He looked in the vanity drawers where he’d already been and pulled out a package holding the fake nails. “It’s a two pack,” he said. “She’s obviously on set one, because there are nails in this bag but,” Phoenix looked harder. “There are only nine nails in here! This proves she only replaced one nail.” Phoenix took this to place in the court record as well. 

“We should go before she comes back,” Pearl said. “We can’t let her find us…” Pearl shuddered. 

Phoenix nodded, but he wasn’t satisfied. There was something else he still couldn’t find. He’d expected to find the manilla envelopes to the files about him, yet they weren’t anywhere to be found. Somehow, she’d hidden them somewhere else. Phoenix felt his frustration build. They could be anywhere in this school! He didn’t have time to look, but his curiosity burned, it burned until it transformed into dread, like coal into a diamond. He didn’t know how Junko planned to mess with him, for all he knew, he was playing right into her hands, going on this evidence scavenger hunt. He only knew one thing for certain: he had to get out of her room right now. Phoenix could feel his dread chase him out as countless Monokumas gazed at him with a button eye and a twisted grin.

******************************************************************************

May 2nd

Dormitory Hallway

Phoenix sighed with relief as he glanced at the empty hallway as he shut the door. Maybe now it was time to go back-” 

“-Damn it!” He heard a sharp swear, and he saw Byakuya slamming the door to his dorm room a few doors away. In his arms were… a bunch of manila envelopes. Phoenix froze. He’d eliminated Byakuya as a suspect but-

“-Give those back!” Pearl shouted, and she ran towards Byakuya and grabbed his legs. “You stole the files about Mr. Nick!” 

“Get off me!” Byakuya shook his leg, but Pearl clung on, digging her nails into his dress pants. “You don’t understand you little…” Byakuya sighed. “Pearl Fey, I did not steal these files. Now unhand me right now.” 

Phoenix and Maya ran over. Phoenix reached down to Pearl and pulled her off Byakuya, and Pearl glared at the heir. Phoenix expected Byakuya to start flinging insults, but he merely brushed off the creases in his slacks with an annoyed sigh. Phoenix glanced at the envelopes: **Fey-Wright, Wright-Edgeworth, Wright-Skye, Wright-Engarde, Fey-Fawles, Wright-Fey**. The missing envelopes were in the hands of Byakuya Togami. 

“I know what you think,” Byakuya said, his face set in a grimace. “I understand how this looks. I found these slid under the door in my room. Just the envelopes, with no actual information.” Byakuya clutched the envelopes, and his face shifted into a glower as he began to clutch them tighter. “This killer… they’re playing me for a fool. They’re mocking me with this. They threw this together at the last second… another framing attempt, or were they just showing me the knowledge I lack?” Byakuya handed the envelopes to Phoenix. “You can believe me or not when I say this, but as soon as I entered my room and saw these, I was going to tell you. I want this killer caught now.” 

“Why would you help us?” Maya said, raising an eyebrow. “You tried to buy us off! You talked all this garbage about how you didn’t believe in the Kurain Channeling technique and how we couldn’t win.” 

“Is it because of Makoto?” Phoenix asked. “I have heard that you two are friends… and you don’t seem like you’re that close with everyone else. No offense.” 

“None taken,” Byakuya said. “I am not close to most of my classmates because I choose not to be. My reasoning lies in the same vein in which I justified my attempt to buy you off the case. I am the ultimate affluent progeny. I must surround myself with the best people, and not get bogged down with any inconveniences.” 

“So that’s how you see your classmates?” Phoenix frowned. “As inconveniences?” 

“I used to see them as annoyances,” Byakuya admitted, crossing his arms. “However, I will admit that a few of them surprised me. Makoto was the most surprising. I saw him initially as someone with no backbone and an innate kindness that would lead to naivety,” Byakuya pushed up his glasses, and it seemed like he was biting back a smile. “When I first met Makoto, he was trying to calm down Owada after I’d made him lose his temper, and Owada punched him so hard, he flew into a wall.” Byakuya’s eyes glinted with amusement as he saw the shock on everyone else’s faces. “I was confused when I saw him a few weeks later talking with Owada like nothing happened. It seemed like both of them moved on completely… I talked to Makoto and demanded to know why he’d forgiven Owada. He said there was no use in grudges when you could forgive, and he said that there had to be good in Owada, and he’d gotten to know him to prove that point. He told me that it was like forgetting a shoddy business deal and focusing on a potential offer on the horizon.” 

“He really knew just what to say to you,” Phoenix said. “He related it to something you’d understand.” 

“Exactly,” Byakuya nodded. “I didn’t admit it at the time… but his perceptiveness impressed me. Of course, I focused on myself and a perfect graduation, but over time, I got to know Makoto. He was a lot more intelligent than I’d ever thought someone with a disposition as easygoing as him could be. I’d even started to ask his opinions on business matters… which I’d never thought I’d want to consult another person on. It was… odd.” 

“I think that’s called friendship,” Maya said with a smirk. “Friends ask friends for advice. I’m gonna guess… Makoto was your only friend here.” 

“Well, Toko is always around him,” Pearl added. 

Byakuya grimaced. “I help to keep her… other side under control, and she is infatuated with me. It is exhausting to deal with Toko.” 

“It does seem tiring,” Phoenix admitted. “Though, she does call you master and everything, wouldn’t she obey if you told her to leave you alone?” 

“That’s the one thing she wouldn’t do, and I do wish she wouldn’t call me that,” Byakuya said with an eye roll. “If anything, I should thank you. I told her recently that I was part of the reason she testified, as I was the one who told you about Jill and told you to get her on the stand. She actually got rather upset, hence why she isn’t hovering around me now… though that is clearly the least of my concerns.” Byakuya gestured to the envelopes in Phoenix’s hands. 

“If Makoto was part of this whole epiphany for you,” Maya rolled her eyes as she put air quotes around the word epiphany, “Why did you try and buy us off?” 

“Simple,” Byakuya said, giving Maya a cool stare. “I wasn’t thinking about friendship, I was thinking about my future. I wanted an unimpeded road to my ascension to the top of the Togami empire. Every second I am in this school I risk a threat to my company before I graduate. I want to get there as quickly as possible so I can propel my family to the top,” Byakuya paused, and crossed his arms, “However, I realized something as that prosecutor woman whipped me… and I looked at this bruise from Kuwata’s fist. I remembered that woman’s words and I realized… the killer made a fool out of me. They used my own mentality against me.” Byakuya’s hands curled into fists. 

“What do you mean?” Phoenix asked. Could he know who the killer is too, Phoenix wondered. 

“Well, the killer is someone in our class, that is obvious. I always had my doubts about Makoto because I knew he was too… soft to commit such an act of brutality. I am still unsure of who it is but, I am right in that there are a large number of us who are suspects, myself included. However, the killer counted on that I would want this swept under the rug, so they played on it. They wanted me to not bother to offer my own services and opinions… and they instead counted on the fact that I’d have no faith in your methods and I’d act to further incense our more hopeful classmates to cause discord… and that I’d be willing to discard my friendship with Makoto for a smooth graduation,” Byakuya pushed up his glasses, and Phoenix could see fury bubbling up in his eyes. “One of them… is far smarter than I gave them credit for… I never bothered to look at most of them in a way that examines what they are below the surface, and it has cost me dearly. Now, I let it get this far… I knew about Makoto’s innocence, yet I thought this would be over, and I could maybe get an appeal for him down the road, but I failed to see what the killer was doing as a result. The killer was playing me for a fool, playing on my ambition to let them get away, and make me look stupid as they danced circles around me with their blatant framing… and the trials brought that to public light, that the ultimates, including me, could be fooled and turned against each other.” Byakuya touched his bruised cheek lightly. “What Prosecutor von Karma said… I realized the divisions of the class reflect negatively on all of us as ultimates. If I want to be the best, I must elevate my class as well, as we are intertwined, and if they spiral it will reflect poorly on me as well… and these envelopes were the killer’s way of mocking me. They are daring me to retaliate.”

“Maybe it’s based on what you said about everyone being a suspect,” Phoenix said, furrowing his eyebrows. “Maybe the killer wanted to make you a victim of your own statement.” This statement seemed to fit with Junko’s modus operandi, he thought, spreading more turmoil, despite the risk of getting caught. 

“I’ll admit that’s a good theory,” Byakuya said. “You have consistently proven to be more perceptive than your bumbling front shows you to be.” Bumbling?! Phoenix crossed his arms, but Byakuya paid him no mind. “I will also admit I’ve read these case files in the past, so I would have no need for them anyway. If I were the killer, I wouldn’t steal these. The killer probably knows that, but is messing with me.” Byakuya offered a hand to Phoenix. “If you need any help, I’ll be at your service. This killer has issued a challenge to me, which extends to the Togami empire as a whole. I will not be played for a fool anymore.” Phoenix hesitantly gripped Byakuya’s hand, and he shook it. Byakuya’s hands were rather cold, he thought with a shiver. 

“In fact,” Byakuya still hadn’t let go of Phoenix’s hand, “I’ll bet you’re close to figuring out who the killer is. I would like to help you with that, and I have a theory I want to test out.” 

“What do you have in mind?” Phoenix asked, curiously. 

“I see you didn’t deny my statement,” Byakuya said with a small smile, releasing Phoenix’s hand. “You work fast, Phoenix Wright. I want to know who your suspect is.” 

“No,” Phoenix said. He couldn’t risk telling anyone right now, he didn’t want another fight to break out, and the less people who knew meant less risk for getting their secret out. “I can’t, not until I’m certain, and maybe your idea will help me get closer.” 

“It appears you aren’t giving me much of a choice here,” Byakuya said, adjusting his glasses. He looked rather calm, though, and Phoenix reasoned Byakuya was at least confident enough to let him have some leeway. “I wanted to meet with the headmaster to ask to look at security footage from the hallway camera,” Byakuya gestured to the camera above him. “I would think the footage would be archived, and it could be revealing. I would think the true killer would show up either earlier or later than the others to the body discovery, and I wanted to watch the footage, and if it is requested by an attorney, I will be able to. I’ll admit I was observing everyone else as Hagakure was discovered, but everyone’s arrival would be something I wouldn’t be able to determine.” 

“So we can just go to the headmaster and ask him for access to the tapes?” Maya asked. 

Byakuya nodded. “Of course, I’ll be going with you.” 

Maya opened her mouth to protest, before Phoenix shook his head at her and turned to Byakuya. “Fine,” he said. “You can help us, maybe you can point out any abnormalities with the students that we wouldn’t see,” Phoenix turned to Byakuya, who nodded in agreement. It would be better to keep him close for now, Phoenix reasoned. 

“I hope there is something in the footage to convict the killer,” Byakuya said. “It would be a shame to lose Makoto to someone so conniving. He would make a great business partner one day.” 

“Was that his way of uh, apologizing?” Maya said. “Or at least admitting he messed up in trying to rush this case?” 

“Who knows?” Pearl shrugged. “He still didn’t say sorry.” 

“Something tells me Byakuya isn’t used to apologizing,” Phoenix said, crossing his arms as he looked at the heir. “I remember when he was like that. Though… it’s crazy that a murder is what it took to jumpstart their change.” 

“Are you three coming, or am I going to walk alone?” Byakuya motioned to Phoenix. “Mr. Wright, if you don’t mind, I’d like to discuss your cases with you, of your choosing of course. After all… there is something to your wins I haven’t seen, and I have underestimated you. I want to know more than what was on those pages… please.” 

Byakuya walked ahead, and motioned for Phoenix to walk beside him. He did, albeit with some reluctance over leaving Maya and Pearl to walk behind them. It was still Byakuya after all, and his reasons for finding the killer were slightly… selfish, though if anything, the reasoning was so authentically Byakuya, that Phoenix was inclined to believe him more. As Phoenix walked beside Byakuya, he saw the heir looking expectantly at him to start talking, and Phoenix found himself beginning with his very first case. It was odd, he thought. Phoenix never thought someone like Byakuya would want to listen to him, yet he’d never seen Byakuya more at attention, even during the trials. 

******************************************************************************

May 2nd

Headmaster’s Office

“Headmaster Kirigiri,” Byakuya knocked on the door. 

“Come in,” Headmaster Kirigiri’s muffled voice came through, sounding more tired than ever. 

The four walked into the office to find Headmaster Kirigiri deep in paperwork, going through files. Phoenix looked at the files strewn about his desk, and realized those were the student files. All their information and their talents… could the headmaster be trying to solve this crime? Or could he be trying to comprehend how one of these students he’d selected fooled him into complacency? Phoenix saw the drained look on his face, and decided it was probably the second one. On his desk, the file of Yasuhiro Hagakure was splayed open, pictures of the victim with a rather spacey smile adorning his desk. Looking at those pictures wasn’t making Phoenix feel any better. 

“Oh!” Headmaster Kirigiri looked up from his papers. “Mr. Wright! You’re working with Mr. Togami? Have you cleared him? Has something happened?” Headmaster Kirigiri’s eyes grew frantic and he stood up in a panic. 

“N-no!” Phoenix assured him. “Everything is okay,” he chose not to tell Headmaster Kirigiri about the fight… at least not now. “We just need your help, and it was Byakuya’s idea to involve you… just what are you doing?” 

Headmaster Kirigiri looked guiltily at the files. “I don’t want to doubt my students… but maybe I thought there was something I missed or… I-I don’t know.” Phoenix opened his mouth, but Headmaster Kirigiri lifted a hand to stop him. “If you have a lead… I don’t want to know. Afford me this final day of ignorance before I face the reality of my murderous student. Kyoko was right in that I need to come down to Earth… but I want to be in space a bit longer.” 

“That seems irresponsible,” Byakuya said, giving the Headmaster a look of disapproval. 

“It is not entirely selfish of me, Mr. Togami,” Headmaster Kirigiri said. “If I am made aware of the killer, I may act off around them when I accompany you all to the final day of the trial. If I remain ignorant, I don’t risk having an outburst and potentially alerting this killer. It is best if I feign ignorance… and maintain the trust of the students that I am wholly ignorant. They may think that I am entirely in the clouds… and they may let their guard down. I am reading now to see if they have tells, signs… I do not know. I feel as if I am on another planet regardless.” 

“You should start with installing cameras in the blind spots,” Byakuya said. “Though, maybe you could just focus on a stricter vetting process.” 

“I don’t know,” Maya said. “Look, I know you must be hurt, and uh, you dedicated your life to this school, giving up a lot in the process,” Maya pursed her lips, no doubt thinking of Kyoko, “But this place isn’t beyond saving, not at all. This was one bad incident, but you have so many successful students, and if you just get careful about picking the right ones, for their disposition and not just their talent, this school will still be great.” 

Headmaster Kirigiri managed a small smile. “Mayhaps you would’ve made a good student if you didn’t already have a career with Mr. Wright here, Ms. Fey.” Headmaster Kirigiri gave Maya a fond look before turning to Phoenix. “What exactly did you come here for?” 

“We need access to the video footage from the dormitory hallway on the night of the murder,” Phoenix said. “Could you get that for us?” 

Headmaster Kirigiri nodded. “Sure. I’ll get the archived tape for you.” Headmaster Kirigiri left the room, and it was just the four of them. 

“So, he’s trying to read up on us,” Byakuya flipped through his own file. “I’m not sure what he’s going to find… there is a bit about our pasts, but nothing terribly revealing that he wouldn’t already know. I think he’s deluding himself into believing this is investigating. It’s his way of trying to avoid seeing the truth, yet telling himself he’s looking for it.” 

“It’s hard to believe he and Kyoko are related sometimes,” Phoenix admitted. “They’re handling this totally differently.” 

“I would expect so,” Byakuya said. “They’ve always been estranged, and I would guess this would only pull them apart even further, which is just another side effect of this killer’s goal to divide the class. They split us up from each other, and from authority. Even I find myself reluctant to look to Headmaster Kirigiri when he’s in this state.” 

“He is a mess,” Pearl said, probably a bit too honestly. “I guess it’s because he really likes this place.” 

“It is his life’s work,” Phoenix said, his voice breaking with sympathy. “If this happened, I’d be distraught too.” Phoenix paused. “I don’t think he’s doing nothing. He’s been fielding reporters, and calling parents, managing student concerns, and, it seems like he’s aware of the location of every police officer,” Phoenix gestured to a piece of paper with the criminal affairs logo on it, with several markers around the crudely drawn map of the school. “He does care, but the truth is hard for him to look at… and it’s not like he’d know based on where he was on the night of the murder, and he did his job, gathering everyone as quickly as possible. He’s not perfect but…. he’s trying.” 

Just as Phoenix finished his sentence, Headmaster Kirigiri came back with the DVD. He explained that he burnt a copy of the tape into a DVD for them, hence the slight delay. “You can watch this in the media room on the first floor,” he said. “I-I hope you find what you’re looking for. You can close the door on your way out.” 

“Thank you,” Phoenix said, as the four left the office and Headmaster Kirigiri once again buried himself in papers. 

“I hope no one is in the Media Room, Nick,” Maya said. 

“We’ll just have to hope,” Phoenix said. “We’re on the fifth floor now, maybe we’ll get lucky enough to see everyone else in a different place on the way down.” The four headed down, each awaiting whatever discoveries the DVD would bring. 

******************************************************************************

May 2nd

Media Room

Phoenix was sure that Makoto’s good luck must be rubbing off on him. On their way downstairs, they saw most of the ultimates gathered in the game room. Everyone but Leon, Mukuro, Toko, and Byakuya was there, and Phoenix reasoned it must’ve been a futile attempt to bond again, though Phoenix reasoned it was also so they could all keep tabs on each other as well. A paranoid act of friendship, Byakuya called it with an eye roll. He figured Toko was in her room, but the absence of Leon and Mukuro was odd. That, however, left his mind because the game room gathering led to them getting to the media room with no incident, so Phoenix was grateful for that. 

“We should hurry,” Byakuya said, placing the DVD into one of the available slots on one of the monitors. 

Byakuya took the remote and began to fast forward through the night. He saw Yasuhiro first, with an armful of books and an exasperated eye roll head to his room. It was weird seeing him so… alive. He also saw Chihiro walk by before the murder to go to his room with laptop in hand, though he didn’t emerge again, so that helped his alibi. Predictably, the killer’s dedication to the blind spots meant that no trace of them was picked up, leaving the next person caught on film to be Makoto. Makoto walked around the hallway, weighing his options for the night no doubt, before heading to the room with such a casual expression, only for him to vanish once he reached the doorway, and Phoenix was grateful he didn’t have to see the terror on his face. Taka was next, walking up to the door, then the footage showed him bolting away. Eventually, the ultimates began to trickle in. Predictably, Taka was first, followed by Hina, Sakura, Mondo, and Kyoko. Chihiro came out of his room, Celeste and Hifumi came in with the headmaster, and Byakuya himself came over right after. Toko was there, but she ran off in fright immediately. Then, Junko came in. 

Phoenix froze and paused the tape. “Her hair clips,” he muttered to Maya, and sure enough, Junko’s hair clips were two Monokumas. A discrepancy. Maya nodded, and Byakuya looked at them with an air of suspicion. 

“I know what you’re thinking,” he said. “Ikusaba is late.” Not exactly… though he had a point. 

Phoenix hit play again, and Mukuro came in, and she was wearing a hoodie that seemed just a bit too small. No way, Phoenix thought, a sick feeling bubbling in his stomach. She was wearing the same hoodie that Junko wore to murder Hiro. She was shifting uncomfortably, and Phoenix reasoned she wasn’t used to wearing it, but he paused. That meant she’d have to have washed off the hoodie beforehand in the gym. How? Also, why would she wear it, unless she had to conceal something beneath? His mind began to race, and he saw Byakuya glare at the footage as it continued. As Celeste said, Leon’s pained tears began a wave, and he saw the other ultimates follow suit, and it left him feeling both sorrowful and vengeful. How, he thought, how could Junko put them through this?!

“She’s not crying,” Byakuya said, pausing the footage. Before Phoenix could ask what he meant, Byakuya pointed to Junko. “I don’t know what she’s doing… and I remember trying to see. I don’t see any tears, but I remember thinking she was crying at the time. She was shaking and covering her face…” Byakuya studied Junko’s nail-adorned hands as she shook, with no tears falling. 

“She’s laughing,” Pearl whispered into Phoenix’s ear. “She’s trying not to laugh. Mukuro… I think she’s trying to stop her.”

Phoenix’s eyes widened, and for a second, he saw red. Junko had the nerve to laugh as the dead body of their classmate was being carried away, and the others cried for him?! He suddenly understood Leon’s anger, if only for a moment. He wanted Junko to pay, and he could’ve only imagined her during the trials, enjoying herself. She got to watch Kiyotaka cry, Toko writhe, and Hiroko break down. All of this, she wanted all of this, and he’d been part of the show. 

“What is it?” Byakuya questioned. “You all clearly have figured something out. I demand to know what it is. I assure you, I will not tell a soul.” 

“No way,” Phoenix said, ejecting the disk and placing it in the court record. “As I said, I can’t tell any of you guys until the trial. That’s the only way to assure this stays under wraps. Besides, we need to hurry, in case they finish up in the game room.” 

Byakuya shook his head. “And here I thought you’d come to your senses… though I will say this. I know it has something to do with Enoshima or Ikusaba, as they were the last two to come in,” Phoenix crossed his arms, though he reasoned Byakuya would be smart enough to pick up on that, at least. Byakuya adjusted his glasses. “Ikusaba seems like the more likely culprit, though, due to her talent and Enoshima’s… weirdness. I will say that Enoshima found Hagakure to be rather hilarious, and I thought originally it was because they were both ditzy… was that another misread?” Oh, you have no idea, Phoenix thought. 

“Maybe you should get to know your classmates a bit more,” Maya said, giving Byakuya a light nudge. “They might surprise you.” 

“I may take your advice on that, Fey.” Byakuya gave her a slight nod. “If I’d done that… I would know for certain who this killer is. In fact, it is only because I know Makoto so well, that I was able to rule him out. His soft and trusting disposition… it’s perfect for someone to exploit.” 

“Just… keep this to yourself. For the sake of your classmates,” Phoenix said. “Or, well, for Makoto. He’d want them to be unified and something like this… could ruin the fragile peace.” 

Byakuya crossed his arms. “Consider it done. This killer will rue messing with me, and Makoto will be released tomorrow, assuming you don’t botch this case.” Thanks for the vote of confidence, Phoenix thought with an eye roll. Byakuya continued. “I will get the headmaster to make a matching DVD for the prosecution, assuming they haven’t already seen this. I believe it would be beneficial for them to see this as well.” Byakuya turned and left, leaving them alone again. 

“He probably is going to use that to see what Edgeworth knows so far, Nick,” Maya said. 

“Edgeworth is savvy,” Phoenix said. “I’m sure he’ll pick up on it, and I do think it’s good he’ll get the footage beforehand. I also think Kyoko should see it. We’ll need them with us, and maybe Byakuya can clue them into the files as well.” Phoenix checked his watch. “It’s nearly time for the investigation to shut down for the day. We should head back to Wright and Co anyway to prepare for tomorrow. We have a lot of evidence to process and consider.” 

Maya and Pearl nodded, and the three of them left the media room. Honestly, Phoenix was overwhelmed by the amount of evidence that was accumulating before him, and he had no idea what was going to happen tomorrow. He had to think about how he’d get Junko on the stand, or even if Edgeworth would agree to it. He figured Edgeworth was on the right track, at least, and he had faith he’d find the truth, one way or another.

******************************************************************************

May 2nd

Hope’s Peak Academy-Main Gate

“Yo, Mr. Wright! Maya!” Phoenix turned to see Leon walking to the gates, waving with his guitar slung over his shoulders. 

“Hey, Leon!” Maya waved at him, and Phoenix awkwardly waved back. 

“What about me?” Pearl pouted. 

“Sorry, Pearl,” Leon said sheepishly. “You’re rather hard to see sometimes with how tiny you are.”

“I’m going to grow soon,” Pearl said with a frown. 

“Yeah, you’re going to be really tall one day,” Leon said with a small grin. “Call it a psychic prediction, handed down from Hiro himself.” 

“Doesn’t that mean there’s only a thirty percent chance that Pearly is going to be tall now?” Maya said, crossing her arms with a smile. “I remember Hiro’s technique to be, uh… inaccurate.” 

“Maybe it’s gotten better in the afterlife,” Phoenix said, before he turned to Leon. “Where were you?”

“I was at the detention center for a bit,” Leon explained. “I wanted to visit Makoto… because he’s one of the few people I know didn’t do it, and uh, I really wanted to play some music for him and to apologize to him for getting so worked up all the time. He’s my friend, and I was being shitty-” Leon paused, biting his lip. “Sorry, Pearl.” 

“I kinda already heard all the curse words anyway,” Pearl said. “You and Mondo said a bunch of them earlier, like f-” 

“Pearly no!” Maya clamped a hand over Pearl’s mouth. 

Leon gripped the sleeve of his jacket and looked at the floor. “I wanted to apologize to you guys too,” Leon said. “You guys have been really helpful during this whole thing and you even let Sayaka and I help you… and I just blew up yesterday during the trial intermission and today I started that fight.” Leon managed to look at Phoenix, though his eyes were clouded with guilt. “Makoto told me about having the class stick together and I feel like I was the one who instigated that split… this is my fault.” 

“It’s not your fault!” Maya said. “It’s the killer’s fault for being a murderer! Plus, I’m sure Byakuya wasn’t helping with whatever he said-” 

“He was talking about how anyone could be a suspect, including me,” Leon said with a grimace. “I thought he was just saying it to piss me off, so I just responded to it… and it escalated. Still, I punched him, and then I fought Mondo, who was just trying to get me to calm down… in his own way.” Leon shifted. “Not to mention Chihiro’s hurt now, and that’s technically my fault too.”

“I won’t argue that you messed up by letting Byakuya get to you… and uh, playing a part in the rest of the fight,” Phoenix said. “However, you lost a friend and grief can be overwhelming, especially when you lump in betrayal and hurt… and accusations from your own classmates. This isn’t normal, Leon, and you shouldn’t have had to go through this at all.” 

Leon ran his hands through his hair with a frown. “It’s just like that prosecutor lady said after she whipped us. We’re ultimates. We should’ve handled it better. Makoto’s in jail, and it seems like he’s handling it better than any of us.”

Phoenix shook his head. “You guys are kids… you aren’t even out of school yet. Ultimate means you have a talent, it doesn’t mean you should be perfect, no matter what those outside the school say,” Phoenix placed a hesitant hand on Leon’s shoulder, expecting to be shrugged off, but Leon merely looked at him with an air of sadness. “As for Makoto, he’s trying to keep it together for everyone… but this is hard for him. He’s a kid too.” 

“Not to mention he’s the defendant,” Leon said with a chuckle. “Hopefully all of our visits aren’t stressin’ him out.” 

“I’m sure he’s grateful to have everyone visit him,” Maya said. “Hopefully your guitar wasn’t out of tune, because that’s probably the first music he’s heard in days.” 

“He said he liked it,” Leon said with a slight smile. “Though, he’s always been nice, even if we don’t always deserve it. I think that’s why so many people are visiting, I mean, Mukuro visited twice. She came in right as I was leaving.” 

“I thought you guys had a rotation,” Phoenix said, raising an eyebrow. 

“Yeah, but it’s not strict,” Leon said. “She could have something to say that she forgot… or that she didn’t want to say in front of Junko. They did go together at first.”

Phoenix felt a chill throughout his body. Junko was in the game room with everyone else, and Mukuro must’ve gone out to visit Makoto alone. Why? Was she going to confess to him, or was she going to threaten him? Phoenix looked at his watch, and he realized that the visiting hours for the detention center were over, Mukuro had succeeded in being the last visitor, and that made Phoenix nervous. Still, he maintained a casual expression, not wanting to alert Leon that something was bothering him. 

“Yeah, I think that’s probably it,” Maya said. “Mukuro must’ve just said something private-” 

“-Leon!” Sayaka was running up to the group, her blue hair billowing behind her. “I was sent by Taka to get you once you got back… we’re having a mandatory, uh, bonding time in the game room.” 

“It’s tense in there, isn’t it?” Leon said with an eye roll. 

“Very,” Sayaka sighed. “Still, I understand why we’re doing it, and it’s better than leaving everyone unsupervised. Besides… watching Mondo and Hina have a push up contest rematch isn’t so bad.” 

“Who’s winning?” Maya asked with a cheeky grin. 

“Last I checked, Mondo was. He promised Chihiro he’d win it for him, so he’s really fired up.” Sayaka giggled. “It’s nice to see they’ve made up at least. I’ll presume you’re forgiven as well, Leon?” 

“I did apologize,” Leon said, clutching his guitar strap, “but I left the nurse’s office when they started really talking about all the suspicion and stuff. I didn’t really want to discuss it yet, and I, uh, wanted to get out of there before Taka showed up… because I know he’s going to get on my case, and I totally deserve it.” 

“You did kinda lose it,” Sayaka admitted. “Though… I didn’t like what Byakuya was saying, because I knew Makoto wouldn’t either. It was divisive.” 

“But he’s right,” Leon said. “It has to be someone, and I know it isn’t you or Makoto. That’s all I know for certain. I-I just don’t want this killer to get away, not after what they did. I mean, they murdered Hiro. He was part of the class… and I don’t know why.” Leon turned towards Phoenix, and he could see the desperation in his eyes. “Y-you guys don’t have to tell me who you’re suspicious of, or who your evidence is pointing to. All I want to know is… why?” 

“I don’t know,” Phoenix admitted. “I have been trying to think of why Hiro would be targeted… but I can’t think of a definitive reason. There was nothing he did to specifically wrong anyone on a large scale, and overall he seemed like a decent person… minus the occasional rip off and fake prediction.” 

Leon sighed. “That figures. It’s like Hiroko said it’s… senseless. It just seems like Hiro died for nothing.” 

“It’s senseless,” Sayaka agreed. “However, I feel like Hiro had to be picked for a reason.” 

“Hopefully, it will come to light in court tomorrow,” Phoenix said. “You both were great help in investigating, and I could tell you were both invested in this because you both care about your friends.” 

Leon snickered. “You don’t have to spare my feelings dude-I mean, Mr. Wright. I didn’t do anything for this investigation. Sayaka was great, and she was great with Pearl and she was always ready to answer questions,” Leon blushed as he gave Sayaka a quick glance, though she hardly noticed. “I just got worked up and angry… and I didn’t do anything useful.”

“No, that’s wrong!” Phoenix said suddenly. Wow, Makoto must really be rubbing off on me, Phoenix thought. “You were the one who got the pictures of Yasuhiro’s room before the murder. That was really helpful, Leon.”

“I didn’t think that there was anything different in the pictures,” Leon said, raising an eyebrow. “I got you the single worst piece of evidence ever.” 

“No, you just have to look closer, and it’s a valuable piece of evidence,” Phoenix said. “It could really help. Not to mention, you were the one with the most knowledge of tarot, and helped us find which cards were missing, and got us the tarot book.” 

“He’s right, Leon,” Sayaka said, giving Leon a slight nudge. “You really did help, even if you can’t see it.” 

Leon blushed, and Phoenix could see a smile and the small formation of a blush on Sayaka’s face as well. He could see Pearl putting her head into her hands and sighing. Leon looked at Pearl, and his face turned even redder. 

He turned towards Phoenix, trying to play it off. “Thanks. I-I never thought about that stuff as helping… I just said what popped into my head.” 

“Oh, Nick does that all the time,” Maya said with a grin.”That’s how he does his job.” 

“Hey, it’s more complicated than that!” Phoenix protested, as the other four began to laugh. 

Though he could live with being at the butt of the joke this time, he reasoned, seeing the smiles of the other four. Sayaka’s expressions always seemed so put-together, and Leon’s expressions had largely been angry, so it was nice to see them smiling and letting loose. Of course, it was also great to see Pearl and Maya at ease as well, even for a moment.

“We should be getting back,” Sayaka said, her smile fading. “The rest of them are going to send someone else out soon.” 

“Yeah,” Leon sighed. “Hey!” He perked up. “Before we have to go back in, we should walk out to the bus stop with Mr. Wright, Maya, and Pearl. We could even play them that duet we were practicing.”

“I don’t know,” Sayaka said, crossing her arms. “We should head back, and you know you’ll have to face everyone soon anyway, Leon-”

“-Oh, a duet!” Pearl swooned, her eyes lighting up. “I want to hear it!” She tugged on Sayaka’s sleeve, giving her the puppy dog eyes. “Please?” 

“C’mon, Sayaka,” Leon said. “We can’t disappoint Pearl.” 

“Fine,” Sayaka sighed with a small smile. “I guess it couldn’t hurt. Besides, it really is the least we can do… and I do love singing for Pearly. She’s a great audience.” 

“Yay!” Pearl cheered, grabbing Sayaka and Leon by the wrists and corralling them out of the gates. 

“Let’s go hear that song, Nick!” Maya said, grabbing Phoenix and racing after them. Phoenix stumbled, nearly tripping over his own feet. 

******************************************************************************

May 2nd

Bus Stop

The five of them made it to the bus stop a block away from the school, and sat down. Leon began to strum his guitar, and Sayaka hummed, warming up her vocal chords. They began to harmonize, Leon’s rougher voice and sharp guitar notes, mixing rather nicely with Sayaka’s elegant voice. Pearl sighed and leaned on Maya’s shoulder, as the taller medium wrapped her cousin in an embrace. Both girls seemed to be getting swallowed by the warm waves of music, and Phoenix could even feel himself starting to ebb. 

However, he couldn’t completely let go. Reality was still haunting him: Junko and her army of Monokumas surrounded him with that evil giggle, the still visible divisions of the class, the multiple framings with Byakuya as the latest casualty, Edgeworth’s own conclusions that would be unknown to him, his guilt over not being able to tell the other students about the true killer, Hiroko’s grief, Komaru’s worry, Mukuro’s involvement in the crime and her proximity to Makoto...and the motive. That motive was murky and unclear, and despite all the evidence it continued to elude him. Tomorrow’s trial would be a day of reckoning… and it was up to him to find the truth, to finally exonerate Makoto in the eyes of the law. He faltered, though. After all, if he didn’t know the true motive how could he really close the case? He took a deep breath, trying to expel the worry from his body. 

“Your bus is here,” Leon’s voice shook Phoenix from his thoughts. “How was it?” 

“I-I loved it,” Phoenix said. “I can tell you really love music. Both of you.” Phoenix managed a small smile, and he could see Leon’s face light up at his remark. 

“You guys should totally make more music,” Maya beamed. “That was so amazing!” 

“It was really great,” Pearl said. “You and Sayaka are really good… and it showed how great you can be together! A perfect harmony!” Pearl grinned with a blush. 

“Pearly, the bus doors,” Sayaka said gently, sparing Leon any further embarrassment. She pointed to where the bus doors were beginning to open. “We’ll see each other tomorrow, okay? I promise I’ll save a seat for you in court.” 

“Okay,” Pearl said with a smile “See you tomorrow!” She hugged Sayaka with a grin, and grabbed Leon by the sleeve of his jacket, pulling him in as well. 

“Don’t forget me,” Maya laughed as she wrapped her arms around the group.

“Mr. Wright,” Sayaka said with a mischievous smile. “It’s only right you join. It’d be rude not to.” 

“Might as well get in here, dude,” Leon sighed, clearly feeling a bit awkward about being the only guy. 

Phoenix walked over to the group and wrapped his arms around them. It was nice, he thought, it almost felt like he was shielding them all, as if he was protecting them from an ugly truth, if just for a moment, and bringing them together. The honking of the bus horn parted them. 

“Stay strong, okay?” Phoenix said, facing Leon and Sayaka. “No matter what… don’t give up hope. For Hiro and for Makoto… and for us too. We’re going to need you guys to back us up all the way.” 

Leon nodded. “We’re with you.” He looked back towards the school. “It’s about time I faced the music anyway.” 

Sayaka placed a hand on his shoulder. “You can do it. I’ll be right here with you, and if we stay united… maybe the others can come together too. Maybe that’s what Makoto meant in us all sticking together. If we pull ourselves up… maybe we can start to trust each other again.” 

“Hey, I found you guys!” A sharp giggle followed that statement as Junko ran up to the group. “I was sent to get these guys.” She pointed at Leon and Sayaka. 

There was a part of Phoenix that wanted to grab Leon and Sayaka and run. Junko was right there, smiling at them, and there wasn’t anything he could say without blowing anything up. He couldn’t let Junko know what he did, but he wanted so badly to confront her. 

“We’ve got to go, Nick,” Maya motioned for Phoenix to join her and Pearl on the bus, and Phoenix was glad she’d at least thought to get Pearl away quickly. Both of them were maintaining casual expressions. 

“I’ll see you three in court,” Phoenix said with a nod as he boarded the bus. 

“See you there, Feenie.” Junko said with a grin, wrapping her arms around Leon and Sayaka. “Aw, Feenie.” Junko turned to Sayaka. “I like that nickname a lot more than Wrighto, don’t you think?” She turned back to Phoenix and grinned. “It’s more personal.” 

Before Phoenix could react, Junko was walking away, her arms draped around Leon and Sayaka. The bus doors closed and it petered off, the three students and the gates of Hope’s Peak Academy getting smaller in the distance. Seeing Junko so casually holding the students she’d subjected to emotional torment made worry and dread fill his mind and make him feel as if a weight was dropped on him. 

He tried to relax as the bus drifted, but his persistent unease slowly ate away at him, as if he were once again under the evil eye of Monokuma, and he could hear that laugh in the corner of his mind. Instead of Monokuma’s laugh, however, the giggle of Junko Enoshima echoed instead, tormenting him as the bus rolled along. As much as he tried, Phoenix couldn’t get Junko out of his head. She laughed as she mocked him, smirking as she dangled her motive and true plans right in front of him, just out of reach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Well... mystery solved! Kinda. I bet 90% of you had this clocked from the beginning, but I'll confess, I'm excited. The trial is hopefully going to be as fun as I've imagined it in my head. Just in case you're wondering why there are some unanswered stuff, there is a legit reason for that. There are going to be two intermission chapters that are very crucial to filling in the puzzle mostly pieced together by Phoenix. I hope that Phoenix and Makoto segment didn't disapoint, it was fun to write, and I do like their dynamic. Also, for the ending location, I wanted to bookend the investigation by having it start and end with Leon and Sayaka, and end with a bit of Wright and Co. investigation squad bonding, but at the beginning, they were accompanied by the trustworthy Kyoko, and at the end, the guilty Junko is the one hovering around them. Speaking of investigation squads, our next intermission will be narrated by the VERY first narrator of this whole series. Get ready!) 
> 
> Court Record Pt.2
> 
> Makoto’s Reply  
> [Makoto’s reply to the note of M, identifying them as Mukuro. He tells her about the study session.]
> 
> Survival Knife (updated)  
> [Knife found at the scene of the crime, belonging to Mukuro Ikusaba. Has the prints of Makoto Naegi.]
> 
> Autographed Photo  
> [An autographed photo of Junko Enoshima given to Larry Butz. It was hard for Larry to part with it.]
> 
> Larry’s Affidavit  
> [Junko Enoshima gave Larry the photo a few days ago in exchange for a Monokuma mask. She told him to keep this a secret, but Larry isn’t very good at keeping secrets.]
> 
> Celeste and Hifumi’s Affidavit  
> [A shared affidavit by Celeste and Hifumi detailing odd behavior by Junko Enoshima during cards, and later on by Byakuya Togami and Mukuro Ikusaba during the body discovery.] 
> 
> Makeup  
> [Makeup belonging to Junko Enoshima. It is quite abundant, and her foundation could be used to disguise someone else]
> 
> Red Nail  
> [A fake, chipped nail that has been discarded by Junko Enoshima.]
> 
> Package of Nails  
> [The package with 2 fake nail sets. Junko has used one full set, and 1 extra nail.]
> 
> Defiled Usami Photograph  
> [Junko edited a normally positive message by Usami to align with the ideals of Monokuma. It gives me the creeps.]
> 
> Messy Wig  
> [A wig haphazardly thrown in the drawer of Junko Enoshima’s room. It is the same color as her hair.]
> 
> Bunny Clip and Bow  
> [The clips worn by “Junko Enoshima” in the photos of her. Have the strands of hair from the wig still stuck in them.]
> 
> Monokuma and Usami Figurines  
> [Wooden figurines of Monokuma and Usami made by Mondo Owada, and bearing his signature, for the victim and Maya Fey. The Monokuma figurine was found in Junko Enoshima’s room.]
> 
> Altered Scripts  
> [Monokuma always wins. There is no hope in these scripts, just sadness. I hated every minute of looking at them. I have one for the latest episode.]
> 
> File Envelopes  
> [The manila envelopes for the missing files about me. Found in Byakuya Togami’s room, which he claims is because someone slid them under the door.]
> 
> Security DVD  
> [Camera footage from the dormitory hallway the night of the murder. Shows all the ultimates gathering to see the aftermath of the crime.]


	10. Examining the Hope's Peak Chessboard (Edgeworth)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miles Edgeworth conducts his own investigation with the help of Kyoko, Franziska, and Gumshoe to find the truth behind Yasuhiro's murder. Edgeworth examines his own view of the chessboard in order to finally solve the mystery. Will he finally be able to outmanuver and unmask his opponent, or will his opponent outmanuever him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is part 1 of the two part intermission! It's pretty long, but I promise it's worth it, so sorry in advance. I had fun writing this, and I apologize for the amount of inner dialogue and chess metaphors in this chapter, I just feel like Edgeworth has a lot to say about these ultimates, but he'd do it in his head, with a chess metaphor to boot. Edgeworth is a fun narrator. Also, I did write a lot with the prosecution investigation squad, but that's my own bias, because I love writing them together. I liked writing Kyoko and Gumshoe interacting through Edgeworth's perspective, and Edgeworth and Franziska's sibling banter was fun. Actual stuff that differs from the main investigation happens here, so if you normally skip intermissions, I would actually read this one. Hope you guys enjoy!

May 2nd

Hope’s Peak Academy-Main Gate

The gates of Hope’s Peak Academy loomed in front of Edgeworth as he stood in front of them, threatening to swallow him whole. Today’s trial was a fiasco, his first witness had turned out to be a serial liar, and his second wasn’t even one he’d planned for. Technically, she’d been two separate witnesses. He’d had no idea that there was someone else lurking under the seemingly harmless and neurotic surface of Toko Fukawa. He’d had her placed as a mere pawn on the chessboard, someone so timid and weak, there was no possible way she’d have anything to do with this case. Jill, however, caused him to reevaluate completely. Someone like her: unstable, manic, and rather… attached to her scissors. There was something about her that chilled Edgeworth to the bone, and it wasn’t the rather obnoxious way she flirted with him. Her casual, almost gleeful view of death, along with her dominance compared to Toko made Edgeworth very uneasy about her. She could’ve been an ideal culprit, but Wright went out of his way to disprove it, along with the help of his own defendant. Wright knows these students better than I do, Edgeworth realized. He has a clearer view of the board they were playing with, and the pieces it provided. He wondered: did Wright have an idea of who their opponent was? He had to know that the board was shifting and changing at least. Of course, the most visible change was the newfound divide that seemed to spring up among the students during the trial. He wondered how much it would affect them today-

“-Little brother,” Franziska’s sharp voice removed Edgeworth from his thoughts. “You have started to drift off again. Are you in need of the whip?” 

“Hey, pal-I mean, sir! Don’t whip him!” Detective Gumshoe stepped in front of Edgeworth. “He’s just thinking! He’s got that look on his face.” 

“About what, pray tell?” Franziska turned to Edgeworth. “Do you have a theory as to which one of these children murdered their fellow?” 

“You aren’t much older than them, Franziska,” Edgeworth sighed. “And no, I don’t have an idea. That’s what I was thinking about. I thought I could dismiss most of them, but both Toko and Taeko-” 

“-Doesn’t she prefer to be called Celeste, sir?” Gumshoe asked. “She got really scary when Wright called her Taeko.” Gumshoe shuddered as Franziska rolled her eyes. 

“I don’t care,” Edgeworth spat. “She lied to me to get on the stand so she could try and cover for herself and bury her classmate. She exploited my obligation to hear out witnesses. If she won’t respect the sanctity of the truth, I won’t call her by her false name. I am not going to stroke her ego.” Edgeworth frowned and crossed his arms. 

“That’s not a good idea,” Franziska said, shaking her head. “I understand she must’ve hurt your pride-” 

“-It’s not about pride, it’s about the principle. She’s a con. She took advantage of a place of truth and fact to push her own agenda,” Edgeworth’s face darkened. “How could there be any hope for a person like that?” 

“I’m not sure, Demon Prosecutor, how can there be?” Franziska’s lips curled into a wry smile, and Edgeworth’s frown only deepened. 

“Hey, sirs!” Detective Gumshoe said, eager to break the tension. “L-let’s just hope we don’t see Cele-Taeko at all! After all, Kyoko told us to stay vigilant and not trust anyone!” Detective Gumshoe grinned and showed off his notes, which said  **TRUST NO ONE.** Edgeworth wondered why he needed to write that down at all. 

“I seem to recall her wanting us to address her as Detective Kirigiri after that first trial,” Edgeworth said, raising an eyebrow at Gumshoe’s slip. “This isn’t your first slip up since then, Detective. You still constantly call her pal as well. I’d think she’d prefer it if you addressed her as sir like Franziska and I, or merely as Detective. She is a professional.” 

“Sorry,” Detective Gumshoe sulked. “It’s just that…” 

“You see her as a child you should be protecting,” Edgeworth said, eyeing Gumshoe as the other man bit his lip and looked at his shoes. 

Gumshoe was a rather easy person to read, and it was obvious he was very attached to Detective Kirigiri. He hung onto her every word during information exchanges and clearly was in awe of her talent. However, he was attached enough to start becoming protective past the point of professionalism, Edgeworth noticed. 

He had to admit, there were times he worried about Detective Kirigiri, but not because of her age. Having a sister that passed the bar at thirteen definitely helped him see past age in terms of professionalism. 

Edgeworth turned back to Gumshoe. “Please, just remember your boundaries, Detective. Detective Kirigiri is a young prodigy, who has proven to be more than qualified in assisting us. Plus, from what I can tell, Detective Kirigiri is not in the market for a new parental figure.” 

Franziska nodded and pointed to the school’s entrance, where Detective Kirigiri stood, talking to her father. “She appears to have enough issues with this one already.” 

Edgeworth nodded, but he couldn’t help but wince. Detective Gumshoe pursed his lips and looked towards Detective Kirigiri. Franziska wasn’t aware of Detective Kirigiri’s rather tumultuous relationship with her father. Detective Gumshoe had asked the question of why she wasn’t talking to her father more innocently enough during yesterday’s investigation when they’d all met back at Criminal Affairs, but the look on her face was enough for both men to know they’d accidentally veered into very personal territory. She’d ended up telling them that they were estranged due to his commitment to the school overtaking his commitment to her. It was a polite way of saying he’d abandoned her. Edgeworth hadn’t been able to look at Headmaster Kirigiri in quite the same way since. He didn’t quite know how to describe the complicated batch of emotions any better than a distinct drop in respect for the other man. Based on his ranting after Detective Kirigiri left, Detective Gumshoe was actually angry on her behalf. Edgeworth couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Detective Gumshoe that worked up. 

“Anyway,” Edgeworth said, eager to change the subject for Detective Kirigiri’s sake, “I was thinking we should investigate the gymnasium today. I believe we have searched the victim’s room thoroughly, and the gymnasium was the subject of today’s testimony in great length.”

“Good thinking, sir,” Detective Gumshoe nodded. “We should tell Detective Kirigiri.” 

Edgeworth nodded and the three walked over to where Detective Kirigiri was. She was explaining her courtroom notes, all meticulously detailed, to her father. Headmaster Kirigiri’s face furrowed as Detective Kirigiri continued her explanations, and as they got closer, Edgeworth recoiled. Headmaster Kirigiri looked terrible. His appearance was extremely unkempt, his clothes were askew and wrinkled, his eyes were tired and devoid of light. His face was worn, and there were visible bags under his eyes. His lilac eyes resembled Detective Kirigiri’s, but without the quiet, determined fire that burned in hers. His fire had definitely been extinguished, and he was beginning to slump over. He looked broken.

“Wake up, Headmaster!” Franziska whipped the ground at Headmaster Kirigiri’s feet. “Your students will be counting on your vigilance, despite your shabby appearance!” 

“Sorry,” Headmaster Kirigiri said, “I was not expecting to see a whip. Especially from, um-” 

“-Prosecutor Franziska von Karma.” Franziska offered her hand to the headmaster, who shook it. “I will be helping my little brother investigate as a fresh pair of eyes on the scene.” 

“I wasn’t aware Prosecutor Edgeworth had siblings,” Headmaster Kirigiri admitted. 

“It’s in my notes,” Detective Kirigiri said, pointing to a spot in her notebook, where surely enough, it read:  _ Prosecutor Edgeworth has a sister (not blood related) who is also a prosecutor named Franziska von Karma. She insists he is the little brother, but I don’t buy it. He seems older. _

“You’re right, Detective,” Edgeworth said, managing a small smile. “I am older. Your deductive power does amaze me.” 

“She’s an ultimate, sir!” Detective Gumshoe said. “Of course she’s going to be impressive!” 

Headmaster Kirigiri nodded. “Regardless, the Kirigiri family has always had a knack for detective work. Kyoko is no exception.” 

“You are, though, huh?” Detective Gumshoe blurted out. “You haven’t even shown up to a trial yet. When people count on you, do you always let them down like that? You even-”

“-Detective,” Detective Kirigiri glared at Gumshoe. “You’re forgetting he has other responsibilities. He is doing his job as Headmaster.” 

Franziska gave Edgeworth an aside glance, as she readied her whip. Edgeworth shook his head. Of course, Detective Gumshoe was out of line, but the whip was hardly necessary. Not when he felt his own brand of contempt towards the Headmaster. He just had enough good sense not to show it, especially around Kyoko. 

“Sorry, pal.” Detective Gumshoe looked down at the floor, avoiding Detective Kirigiri’s gaze. 

“You’re right,” Headmaster Kirigiri sighed. “I do plan on attending the final trial tomorrow, however. I need to be there to support my students… despite the fact that one of them… ” Headmaster Kirigiri’s face fell, and his posture began to droop yet again. 

“We did not come here to shame you, Headmaster,” Edgeworth said quickly, before Franziska could whip the Headmaster again. “We merely came to inform Detective Kirigiri that our investigation is taking place in the gymnasium today, and she can join us when she is ready.” 

“Thank you, Prosecutor Edgeworth,” Kyoko said with a nod. “I’ll be there after I finish briefing the Headmaster.” 

“Has Komaru Naegi or Phoenix Wright already appeared?” Franziska asked suddenly. 

Both Detective Kirigiri and Headmaster Kirigiri shook their heads, and the trio took their leave. Franziska frowned and looked towards the main gate of the school where reporters were already starting to gather. He wondered if she planned to intercept Wright, though she’d asked about Komaru as well. He had seen a rather protective side of Franziska emerge when she’d whipped that reporter harassing Komaru, and she’d sat by her side in court. Franziska wasn’t one to show a soft side, Edgeworth thought, but there were some exceptions. Besides, the idea of intercepting Komaru had merit, as Komaru was close with the defendant, and maybe she’d know something that even Wright wouldn’t. 

Edgeworth did find it odd that Wright wasn’t already on the scene, though he supposed he went back to talk to the defendant, and he’d seen him talking with Hiroko Hagakure when they’d left. She’d probably given Wright the same plea she’d given him, to find the truth for her son. Edgeworth could still remember the smell of cigarette smoke and regret that lingered around Hiroko as she’d given him that one simple request, still holding onto the arm of Officer Ishimaru. Edgeworth intended to make good on his promise to expose the truth, and he knew Wright would promise the same thing. 

That made him wonder, if Wright went to talk to Makoto, would it be because he knew something that would expose the truth? What information Makoto could have that he didn’t already know about? He seemed like such an open book, especially in his interventions on the stand, but thinking about today's trial forced Edgeworth to suspend judgment wholly on Makoto. Both of his witnesses had confounded him, and forced him to reevaluate the pieces on the chess board. Makoto Naegi was undoubtedly a pawn, as he was being set up, but how much agency did he really have? Was he a pawn by his own volition, or was someone else pulling the strings? Edgeworth thought of Taeko and Toko. Both seemed like pawns at first, but Taeko proved to have a level of experience with manipulating the board, while Toko had a hidden trump card in Jill, who’d frighten and confuse her opponents. Edgeworth took a deep breath as they entered the school. It was time to reconstruct the board yet again, and see what his options were. As of right now, he only had a few reliable pieces, and he wasn’t sure about the rest. The game was just getting started, and Edgeworth stared down his faceless opponent, ready to begin the match. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May 2nd

Hallway 

His opponent took on many shapes. Edgeworth tried to run through the crime with the opponents he could visualise. He saw himself across from the liar Taeko numerous times, her fake pleasantries trying to coax him into forfeiting the match. She seemed to fit so well, that it bothered him. He and Wright had already beaten her in court… hadn’t she been part of the frame up too? Besides, it was her who exposed the second hooded figure, if it were her behind the hood, that would be a fatal blunder, and it didn’t seem like something she’d give up easily if she were the true culprit. That one move is what prevented Taeko Yasuhiro from being his opponent. 

It caused her to be replaced with others, like Byakuya Togami and his smug attitude, befitting of a potential mastermind, Mukuro Ikusaba the silent soldier, and even little Chihiro Fujisaki took her place opposite him on the board. The thought of Chihiro’s sweet smile and timid demeanor being a farce made Edgeworth uneasy, she’d by far been one of the more agreeable students here. The thing that unnerved him the most was that it was a very real possibility. 

“Hey, Edgy!” 

Edgeworth turned from the gymnasium entrance to see Junko Enoshima waving at him. She walked over, her sister in tow. 

“I’d prefer it if you referred to me as Prosecutor Edgeworth, Miss Enoshima.” Edgeworth crossed his arms. He could appreciate someone trying to lighten the mood, but he found Junko’s enthusiasm to be a bit… misplaced for a time like this. There was also the fact that her hair clips bore the dual image of his least favorite character on  _ Warriors of Hope vs Despair.  _ He couldn’t think of anyone who’d actually root for that little monster. At least she was accounted for on the board, Edgeworth thought. Her alibi was solid, but the girl next to her had no alibi that he knew of. 

“Hello, Prosecutor.” Mukuro gave him a brief nod. 

Edgeworth nodded back. “Miss Ikusaba, I was wondering about your whereabouts on the night of the crime. Your sister is accounted for, yet you are not.” 

“You two seem to be together like all the time, pal!” Detective Gumshoe added, readying his notebook and pen. 

“Aw, c’mon pal. We’re sisters,” Junko said, flicking Detective Gumshoe on the arm, causing the man to wince. “We’re all we’ve got, right Mukuro?” 

“Yes,” Mukuro nodded. “We’re just close, as siblings ought to be. We don’t spend every waking moment together, though. We are not attached.” As if to illustrate her point, Mukuro walked a few steps away from Junko, who giggled and waved her back over. 

Edgeworth crossed his arms. “Miss Ikusaba-” 

“-I was watching  _ Warriors of Hope vs. Despair  _ in my room, Prosecutor. I’m not one for card games. I never win.” Mukuro gave him a cool gaze, and Edgeworth returned it. 

“Uh, isn’t that the same alibi as Chihiro, pal?” Gumshoe said, looking at his notes. “You both say the same thing… yet neither of you heard the scuffle?” 

“I don’t know what to tell you, sir.” Mukuro said. “That is the truth.” She stood firm, and Edgeworth figured that the ultimate soldier would have nerves of steel. It made her harder to read, and that put him on edge. Mukuro’s face seemed to get clearer as he stared down his opponent on the board. He wondered, how much did Junko know about her sister’s whereabouts? 

“Hey, it’s that Prosecutor guy!” A girl in a red jacket, Aoi, he remembered, pointed at Edgeworth. She was holding the hand of the white-haired girl… Sakura. They both made their way over to the group. He remembered them both being rather well-behaved on the tour, and he was grateful at least the the students here weren’t ones who’d cause a scene. Probably.

“Miss Asahina, Miss Ogami,” Edgeworth nodded. “I hope you are doing alright.” 

“We’re managing, Prosecutor,” Sakura said with a nod of her own. 

Sakura stood tall, though there was a degree of pensiveness in her eyes that made Edgeworth think that she was more nervous than she let on. She probably feels as if she needs to be calm and collected, considering her talent and stature, Edgeworth thought. She is probably one you would look to at a time like this, and Edgeworth felt a stir of pity. After all, Sakura was merely a high school girl, same as the others, regardless of stature. No doubt, she was trying to be strong, for the class, or at the very least, for Aoi. Aoi herself didn’t react to Edgeworth’s greeting, instead looking around. She gripped Sakura’s hand tightly and her eyes flitted to the ground. Based on her closed-off posture, Edgeworth could tell she wasn’t doing very well. She’d seemed so cheerful during the tour too. 

“Hey, can we confirm your alibis, pal?” Detective Gumshoe asked, getting out his notebook. 

“Hey, don’t accuse us,” Aoi glared at Gumshoe suddenly, her hair going from a pitiful droop to a sharp point. “Hiro was our friend, we would never hurt him.” 

“Eh, not exactly,” Junko said, wagging a finger in Aoi’s direction. “Remember all those times Hiro called Sakura an ogre to her face? Aren’t you still mad? I do remember you were pretty mad when you found that out, Hina.” Junko crossed her arms and looked at Aoi. 

Aoi crossed her arms. “Hey, that was during our first year! People change… and yeah, I was mad! Sakura isn’t an ogre at all, she’s beautiful!” 

“Hina, my girl, ” Sakura’s face was adorned with a barely visible blush. She took Aoi’s hand in hers. “You are always saying that.” 

“That’s because you are, and Hiro was an idiot our first year!” Aoi’s ponytail was fully spiked with anger, and her fists were clenched. Sakura placed a hand on her back, and Aoi seemed to relax, if only for a moment. 

Well, they were dating, Edgeworth thought. It is natural for them to be protective of one another. It was just that he hadn’t thought of Sakura as the soft type, and he hadn’t thought of Aoi as the type to hold a grudge. Yet again, a misread, though this one could largely be because of appearances. Sakura appeared rather intimidating, not ogrish as the victim apparently thought, but just rather large in stature, and Aoi’s rather cutesy mannerisms vanished when she’d talked about Yasuhiro’s remarks. 

“The victim insulted you?” Edgeworth turned to Sakura. 

“Yes,” Sakura said. “He would refer to me as ogre during our first year, and when Hina found out, she confronted him about it on my behalf. However… there is something you must know. I’d never protested this before.” Sakura crossed her arms. “I was used to things like that… but I’d confided in Hina that it still cut me. I told her to let it go, but she insisted on making Hiro answer for it.” 

Detective Gumshoe raised an eyebrow. “I thought this Hiro guy was liked!” 

“He is,” Sakura said. “The story isn’t done. After Hina confronted him, she and Hiro came to the dojo on the fourth floor where I train. He apologized to me, and he said he was rather intimidated by me, and the nickname was just something he’d blurt out. I told him how it hurt me, and he apologized, and offered me a palm reading… if I paid. I declined, but I saw he was serious. Surely enough, by our second year, he referred to me by my name. Funnily enough, he and Hina got along very well once he’d apologized.” Sakura managed a small smile. “He did offer me that palm reading for free this year, and not one thing was accurate.” 

“You see,” Hina said, curling her fingers around Sakura’s. “We have no motive anymore, and besides? Killing someone because of a nickname, that’s just sick!” 

“Uh, uh.” Junko wagged her finger again. “You guys do know that Hiro still called Sakura an ogre behind her back, right? I heard him say it.” 

“That is irrelevant, Junko,” Sakura said calmly, barely batting an eye. “After all, it was behind my back. I would not have known about it, therefore I would have no reason to get mad.” Sakura crossed her arms. Her expression was neutral, but Edgeworth could make out a barely visible sag in her shoulders. She’s hurt, Edgeworth realized. 

Aoi got on her tiptoes and kissed Sakura’s cheek. “You’re beautiful. Don’t forget that.” 

“Hina, you’re too kind to me.” Sakura managed a small smile as she looked at her girlfriend. 

Detective Gumshoe sniffled and grinned and even Edgeworth felt a warmth in his chest. He could feel the beginnings of a smile pulling at his mouth. 

“Guess that means you didn’t do it then,” Junko said. “Sorry I said that. I mean, Hiro is dead anyway. There isn’t much point in saying stuff he did… it is kinda a memory ruiner huh?”

“I agree, the motive is outdated,” Edgeworth added. He turned to Sakura. “Quite frankly, the motive in this case seems much too shallow for a case like this, not to mention your attitude isn’t befitting of a petty crime like this,” Edgeworth said. “You have quite an admirable temperament when it comes to these matters it seems, Miss Ogami. You keep your head on your shoulders.” 

“That control is part of my training,” Sakura said. “Besides, when you look like me… you develop thick skin.” 

“That’s just not right, you’re a lady, pal!” Detective Gumshoe said, suddenly very passionate. He looked very upset on Sakura’s behalf. “You shouldn’t be used to being gawked at!” 

“That’s right!” Hina whooped, and offered Detective Gumshoe a high five, and he took it. “You totally deserve some donuts, pal.” Hina frowned. “Oh wait, we ate them. Sorry.” Detective Gumshoe sighed in mourning. 

“I would take it you two will stick to your alibi then,” Edgeworth said, “And you would vouch for the merit of Mr. Ishimaru and Mr. Owada’s alibis as well.” 

Both Hina and Sakura nodded, and as far as Edgeworth was concerned, they were the least likely suspects, though Sakura’s story was something new. It was something about the victim at least, that he hadn’t always been a benevolent presence, hell, based on Junko’s words, he still had his problems. He wondered if any of the other students had an issue with Yasuhiro in the past. Maybe that’s why it was so hard to find a coherent motive here in the present. 

“Oh!” Junko squealed. “There’s Byakuya and Toko!” Junko waved and hollered at them, despite Edgeworth trying to shush her. Much to his dismay, Byakuya and Toko began to walk towards them as well.

“I’m sorry about her,” Mukuro said, crossing her arms. Edgeworth’s eyes were drawn to a wolf tattoo on her left hand. How long had he failed to notice that? Mukuro noticed his stare and placed her hand under her arm with a scowl. Edgeworth looked towards the horizon, pretending to not notice her sudden change. 

“Prosecutor Edgeworth,” Byakuya said, stepping toe to toe with him. “I expect you’re investigating the gymnasium. I want to take a look as well.” 

“Not a chance,” Edgeworth fired back. “As far as I am concerned, you’re a suspect, Mr. Togami.” 

Edgeworth pursed his lips as he saw Junko raise her eyebrows and Mukuro cross her arms. Hina glared at Byakuya and Sakura looked away, as if she didn’t want to have to listen to the interrogation of their classmate. Toko grabbed onto Byakuya’s arm in horror. Saying things like that could be divisive, he realized, but he had to press on. It was the truth, after all. “Besides,” he added. “I am not a fan of your contemptuous attitude.” 

“Why are you letting Kyoko investigate, then?” Byakuya scowled. “She’s a student, therefore, she’s a suspect too.” 

“He has a point,” Mukuro added. 

“She’s Detective Kirigiri as far as I’m concerned,” Edgeworth said coolly. “She is a professional helping me with an investigation. Besides, she is cleared by the testimony of Mr. Ishimaru when he came back into the school. He saw her in front of the school, and that wouldn’t fit with the killer’s timetable. I won’t tolerate any slander of my investigation team. Detective Kirigiri is a part of that. You are not.” 

“H-he’s s-so valiant,” Edgeworth heard Toko sigh. “I-if only h-he didn’t i-insult m-master… h-he’d be perfect…” She stared at him through her thick glasses, blushing furiously. Edgeworth pretended not to notice. Having her affections was proving to be something of a headache for him already, and the thought of Jill’s adorations coming with it made him slightly queasy. 

“O-oh, prosecutor E-edgeworth,” Toko said, twiddling with her fingers. “I-I was w-wondering if I-I could use y-your likeness i-in a book.” 

“Sure,” Edgeworth sighed as Toko smiled at him with her face in her hands. She let out a small giggle before racing off, presumably to write her book. 

He couldn’t imagine what she would write, considering her other books tended to be so romantic. He’d never thought much about romance for a long time. Not to say that he never had of course. He wondered if Toko would even write him being interested in-nevermind. He didn’t want to know. Honestly, he just figured he should throw her a bit of a bone after Wright had brought out someone who she probably hated to expose. She’d probably trusted Wright at some point, considering he’d known about her split personality, and he’d betrayed her confidence. Knowing Wright, he was probably remorseful about it, despite the good it ultimately did. 

It reminded Edgeworth of what he’d done to Adrian Andrews years ago, and it made him think: are Wright and him not so different anymore? He’d always seen Wright as above him on that front, being careful to spare feelings; while he plowed ahead in a steamroll for the truth, feelings be damned. Somehow, the comparison made his stomach churn. He didn’t want Wright to be like him… not like that, at least. Wright’s humanity is one of his best qualities, and Edgeworth could only aspire to have someday. Edgeworth headed into the gym with the knowledge that Toko was no longer a piece that Wright could count on… though maybe Toko wasn’t his to control. If anyone would manipulate her, it would be Byakuya, Edgeworth realized. She was his alibi and she loved him. He looked back at his chess game. Suddenly, Mukuro’s face began to fizzle, and Byakuya Togami was staring him down yet again, waiting for him to make a move.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May 2nd

Gymnasium

“Hey, where’s Prosecutor von Karma, sir? She told me she was going to investigate some noise outside while you were talking to that snobby Togami guy, and she never came back.” Gumshoe looked around. Edgeworth sighed and crossed his arms. Of course Franziska slipped away to conduct her own investigation. He figured she could take care of herself at least. 

“We don’t have time to worry, Detective. We must get started right away.” Edgeworth said. He looked towards the door and bit his lip. “After all, the masses seem to be gathering.” Edgeworth peered out the opened door, and saw the students beginning to gather and trying to sneak glances inside the room. Edgeworth suddenly wished he’d thought to close the door. 

“They’re all staring,” Detective Gumshoe looked at Edgeworth, desperate to avoid the student’s gazes. “We should wait for Detective Kirigiri,” Gumshoe said. He looked down at the floor bashfully. “You think she’s going to be mad at me, sir?” 

“She’s a professional,” Edgeworth replied. “I doubt she’ll let it show if she is. Still… an apology wouldn’t hurt.” 

“Yeah,” Detective Gumshoe sighed. “It’s just… I’m worried. I mean, she’s sweet on that Makoto kid and he’s the accused, and she has to deal with her Dad pretty much falling apart even though he’s supposed to be a leader,” Detective Gumshoe’s face grew red. “I just can’t imagine leaving behind a kid, especially for a job or something. Especially one as smart as Detective Kirigiri.” 

Edgeworth placed a hand on Detective Gumshoe’s shoulder, then quickly retracted it. “Do you want to know something I admire about you, Detective?” Edgeworth turned to face Gumshoe. “You really do care about people… and you are much better at showing it than me, even if it interferes with your professionalism. It gives you a drive when you do your job, and I’ll confess that it’s that personable element to your drive, along with Wright’s, that I often lack, and I feel as if gaining it will help me become better. I do think I have things to learn from you, Detective. You just need to gauge when to speak and when not to.” Edgeworth sighed. “You’ve always been better with younger people than me, though. I do believe most of these kids think I’m a snob.” 

“You’re not a snob, sir!” Gumshoe said, giving Edgeworth a salute. “You just take a while to know… like Detective Kirigiri! When I investigated my first case with her, I could tell she was like you in that way, she hides how she feels. She’s talked to me a bit, but I can tell she’s not telling me a lot. I just see what holding that stuff in does to you sometimes… and I didn’t want someone as young as her to feel that way, y’know? Besides… she’s a really great detective. I don’t want her first official case to end with the boy she likes going to prison.” 

Edgeworth crossed his arms. He did have a tendency to push aside his emotions, only for them to bubble and brew inside of him later. It was like a deadly poison that sat inside him, that he ultimately did nothing about. The thought of Kyoko having that same emotional poison brewing inside of her made him feel slightly nauseous. Mayhaps it’s a side effect for a lack of father figures, Edgeworth thought, thinking back to the disheveled Headmaster. Suddenly, Edgeworth found himself disliking the man a bit more. He bit back the feeling, adding to his mix of inner tumult. He couldn’t let K-Detective Kirigiri think he was being unprofessional but-

“-Prosecutor Edgeworth,” Detective Kirigiri’s voice rang out, and she saw Gumshoe’s nervous expression and closed the door behind her. “I’m sorry for my later arrival.” 

“It’s understandable, Detective.” Edgeworth said. “We waited for you. In fact, Detective Gumshoe insisted we did.” 

“I’m sorry, p-Detective!” Gumshoe said rather loudly. He avoided Detective Kirigiri’s gaze. “I was out of line.” 

“You were,” Detective Kirigiri said, but she didn’t seem upset anymore. “I forgive you… and I’m flattered to know you care, Detective. I assumed that’s the reason for your vitriol. I assure you, I can fight my own battles… and my relationship with him is more complicated than you think. I have… mixed feelings.” 

“I do care, Detective!” Detective Gumshoe said. “You’re really talented, pal, and ever since that first investigation… I’ve wondered how you’re doing at your school and stuff… and this wasn’t exactly how I wanted to meet up again. I thought when we met again it would be at a ceremony at Criminal Affairs where I’d be giving you a detective’s badge and that Makoto would be cheering you on in the audience… then I’d introduce you to Maggey and I’d get to meet Makoto… and then you’d be the one leading investigations with Prosecutor Edgeworth while I helped out with paperwork and stuff…” Detective Gumshoe trailed off, and Detective Kirigiri did something rather unexpected. 

Kyoko walked up to Detective Gumshoe and placed a gloved hand on his shoulder. She then gave him a small smile, one Edgeworth had never seen before. “Detective,” she said, looking at him fondly, “Don’t sell that idea short. I think there’s a good chance that may happen one day. There’s one thing wrong with that idea, though.” 

“What?” Detective Gumshoe asked. “Do you think Maggey and I won’t be there-” 

Kyoko sighed. “No, I meant the end. You aren’t a paperwork guy. You’d be out with us in the field for sure, Detective.” Detective Gumshoe brightened, and Kyoko turned to Edgeworth. “Isn’t that right, Prosecutor?” 

“O-of course,” Edgeworth replied. 

Truthfully, he was a bit at a loss for what to say. He hadn’t been there for Kyoko’s first investigation with Gumshoe, and frankly, he’d forgotten they already had a foundation of knowledge concerning one another. He’d dissociated for a moment during the conversation, seeing the connection grow between Gumshoe and Kyoko. He’d chided Gumshoe for his lack of professionalism… but in the end, it endeared him to K-Detective Kirigiri in a way. In fact, Detective Kirigiri had spent far more time with Gumshoe than he had with her on that simple tour, and he realized, maybe Detective Gumshoe had a better read on Detective Kirigiri than he did. 

Her fondness for Gumshoe (along with her easy forgiveness of him) wasn’t something he’d predicted based on his assessment of her personality; austere, professional, keeping people at a distance, pretty much him in a skirt. He supposed if anything, she was a bit protective of Detective Gumshoe as well. Did his mentality remind her of someone, Makoto perhaps? He knew Detective Kirigiri and Makoto were very close… well, she liked him. Of course, he’d picked up on their closeness on the tour years ago and during the investigation, but Detective Gumshoe fully sensed their bond from the start. He'd only spoken to Detective Kirigiri once before, who was usually closed off. He must’ve gotten her to open up a bit, Edgeworth reasoned. He suddenly felt guilty for not asking about her state, but would she even want that, or would she think he was being insincere based on his personality? Warmth was something Edgeworth could see he tended to lack. He'd thought of Detective Kirigiri as someone who wouldn’t mind… but maybe she needed someone with some warmth, and he felt guilty. He bet Wright was very good at consoling those two students who assisted him, the pop sensation and baseball star-

“-Prosecutor,” Detective Kirigiri interrupted his thoughts yet again, and he was grateful for it. Edgeworth had no desire to unearth his own demons while a killer lurked outside the gymnasium walls. “Where do you want to start?” 

“I believe we should start by rummaging through the trash can the scissors were found in,” Edgeworth said. “I have a theory that the scissors were only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what the killer disposed of.”

“They would have to be,” Detective Kirigiri agreed. “I bet the scissors were not only used to frame Toko, but if they were there, they could have distracted Mr. Wright from looking further and finding more incriminating evidence that doesn’t point to Toko.” 

“Not to mention that milk carton pointed to Celeste,” Detective Gumshoe said. “Those two pieces of evidence were on top… so that can’t be a coincidence.” 

“I’ll start looking,” Detective Kirigiri said, rolling up her sleeves. 

“No way!” Detective Gumshoe said, stepping in front of her. “I insist on being the one to root through the garbage. You shouldn’t have to get your gloves dirty, and besides, this coat is old and dirty, so it’s fine! I saw the aftermath of what happened to Wright’s suit!” Before Detective Kirigiri could say another word, Gumshoe rolled up his sleeves and began to rummage through the trash. 

Detective Kirigiri rolled her eyes, but Edgeworth could see that she was biting back a smile. She met his eyes and at that moment, trash began to fly aside as Gumshoe flung it aside. Edgeworth barely managed to dodge a banana peel, and Detective Kirigiri had a cup of noodles graze her head. 

“Uh, Detective,” Edgeworth motioned to his head to point out that there were still stray bits of noodle in her hair. 

Detective Kirigiri sighed and brushed the noodles away. “Not the first time that’s happened to me.” 

Edgeworth let out a small chuckle, but quickly stopped himself. “I’m sorry,” he said. “That wasn’t professional.” 

Kyoko shook her head and gave him a small smile. “No need to apologize, Prosecutor, it was funny. Besides, it’s a fun story. It actually has to do with Makoto and the v-Hiro. It has to do with Hiro.” Kyoko brushed aside a lock of hair. “I have to remind myself to refer to him as Hiro instead of the victim sometimes… I don’t want people to view me as uncaring.” 

“You’re not uncaring,” Edgeworth said, facing Kyoko. “You’re just trying to manage a case that’s very close to your heart. It isn’t easy knowing when to be referring to him as a victim or as your friend. The line is blurred when it comes to your involvement in this case as a student and a detective… and I understand that. I’ve been in a position similar to yours before.” 

“Yes,” Kyoko nodded. “I’ve read your case files before. There were numerous cases of yours that impressed me, you took on quite a burden multiple times… yet you saw it through every time. I wish to do that as well.” 

Edgeworth nodded. “You’ve taken on a great burden by being a part of this case, and it is truly a testament to your character. I assure you that no one thinks less of you for your professionalism, and no one will think less of you in Criminal Affairs for acknowledging the victim by name… and the defendant as well. You are going to see this through, and Detective Gumshoe and I will be by your side.” 

Kyoko gave him a small smile, and Edgeworth felt a sense of relief wash over him. He wasn’t devoid of sentiment after all, at least, not when it counted. He was getting there… Wright would marvel at how far he’s come. He turned back to Detective Gumshoe, who’d been too busy rummaging through the trash to add his own input. Detective Gumshoe emerged with an odd looking white fragment, and a handful of fabric strips. Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. 

“So,” Detective Gumshoe started. “I uh, found this weird looking white fragment and I thought of what glasses girl-I mean Toko- said about black and white, so I took it out. Also, I found these strips, and when I picked them up, some stuff fell off!” Detective Gumshoe gestured to the trash can, and both Detective Kirigiri and Edgeworth looked inside. 

Edgeworth’s eyes widened as he saw the tiny shards glinting at him. “Those must be from the crystal ball,” he said. 

Detective Kirigiri nodded. “If they were attached to these pieces of fabric, they must be important. Also,” Detective Kirigiri reached inside of the trash can,and pulled out a black fragment, and it looked to be made from a similar material as the white one. “This looks important too.” 

“I was going to get that eventually,” Gumshoe sighed. “I just didn’t want to touch the glass.” 

“Good thing I have gloves then, right?” Detective Kirigiri said. She took the two fragments, and attempted to piece them together, but they didn’t fit. “I would’ve thought they fit together, considering Toko said something about seeing black and white together.” 

“I do believe you are onto something, Detective,” Edgeworth said. “However, I believe these strips of fabric also require our attention.” Edgeworth turned to the fabric strips. “Maybe these can be pieced together as well.” 

Edgeworth, Gumshoe, and Detective Kirigiri crouched around the strips and began to lay them out. Soon, they began to see that certain strips could fit together, and they began to lay them next to each other accordingly. After a few dozen arrangements, the three managed to piece together a pair of dark gloves. 

“These must be the killer’s gloves, sir.” Detective Gumshoe said. “I, uh, did bring something to help us make sure.” Detective Gumshoe reached into his coat and got out a bottle of luminol testing fluid.

“Good thinking, Detective,” Detective Kirigiri said, giving Gumshoe a nod. 

“Yes, it will save us some trouble later,” Edgeworth added. “Very wise of you, Detective.” 

Detective Gumshoe grinned at the praise and sprayed the fluid on the gloves. The gloves became awash in blue specks, and that was confirmation enough for Edgeworth. These were definitely the killer’s gloves. He began to think. The killer no doubt shredded the gloves with the scissors to make them harder to spot and piece together upon first glance, Edgeworth thought. This killer was definitely crafty. Edgeworth stood up, and offered a hand to Detective Kirigiri and Detective Gumshoe, both of them taking his hands. Upon feeling Detective Kirigiri’s gloved hand in his, Edgeworth was relieved to note that the material of her gloves felt very different from the fabric shreds. 

A sudden noise caught him off guard. He, along with the two detectives, turned towards the door. A few voices, presumably the ultimates, were already starting to get raised. He strained to make out the voices, and he could only manage to pick out the voices of Leon, Kiyotaka, and Byakuya, but he knew there were more of them there. He couldn’t actually hear what they were saying, and he remembered his earlier remark to Byakuya and felt a twinge of regret. He didn’t regret what he’d said to him, but saying it in front of the other students may have been a mistake. In his pursuit of the truth, he’d probably helped along the divide he’d seen beginning to form amongst the students. You’ve done it again, you’ve hurt people, he thought, as he looked at the grim expression that now adorned Detective Kirigiri’s face. It better be worth it. Before he could utter a word, the door to the gymnasium swung open. 

Edgeworth turned towards the door. “Don’t come in-” He faltered, seeing Wright, Maya, and Pearl. He sighed, feeling the tension leave his body. “-oh.” He quickly stood upright again, and gave the three a quick scan, and realized Wright was missing his two student followers. “Wright,” he said, “I see you’re missing your usual baseball star and pop sensation.” 

Come to think of it, Edgeworth hadn’t seen Leon or Sayaka since the trial. He’d at least heard Leon’s voice from the door, but Sayaka had yet to be accounted for. The two were each other’s alibi, and it made Edgeworth wonder, though the fact that Wright had trusted them enough to let them assist him made him less inclined to suspect them, he trusted his judgment. 

“It’s for the best,” Detective Kirigiri said. “Leon’s a loose cannon right now, and if you include Sayaka, people will kick up a fuss. There are even some lingering doubts about me getting involved.” Edgeworth frowned at that last remark; had Byakuya expressed his disapproval to Detective Kirigiri herself? He also hadn’t realized just how worked up Leon had become either. 

“It’s real nerve wracking here, pal,” Detective Gumshoe said, and Edgeworth remembered how nervous he’d been at first, seeing all the students start to gather. “I can practically feel them staring at me from the door! And they’re all so suspicious and stuff… it just gives me the creeps, you know? I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I want to go back to Criminal Affairs as soon as possible!” 

“Yeah,” Maya said. She frowned and crossed her arms. “All it took was us walking up for the fighting to start, not to mention the accusations.” 

“Have you talked to anyone?” Wright said. He looked at Edgeworth with curious eyes. “Who do you think the murderer is?” 

“I’d be curious to hear your thoughts as well, Prosecutor.” Detective Kirigiri eyed Edgeworth intensely as well. 

Edgeworth sighed. He began to filter through his assessments based on his knowledge so far It was time to share his musings about the board. Maybe Wright would have some input for him. “I merely confirmed alibis when the students started to show up,” he said. “I believe the foursome of Mondo-despite his rather lengthy record-, Kiyotaka, Aoi, and Sakura can be cleared rather easily. Their stories consistently match.” They were pawns, Edgeworth thought, left to discover the scene and accuse the others, while the real mastermind controlled what they saw and thought. No doubt, they existed on the board to be manipulated. 

“Leon and Sayaka have also stuck to their stories, though there are only two of them. We could fingerprint Leon’s guitar, but I doubt it’s necessary,” Edgeworth continued as Wright nodded along. He was pretty sure about their innocence as well, though their alibi wasn’t as easily counted upon as the previous four. They could be pawns as well, though they moved with more agency. However, their moves were clearly limited, and they were clouded with emotion. They were more likely to be unpredictable but limited pieces like a knight or a bishop. Still, he didn’t doubt this killer had the ability to move them around the board as well. 

“Obviously, the main suspects are Celeste, despite her potentially being framed,” Edgeworth pursed his lips at the fact he’d used her fake name. He supposed the habit was hard to drop. Taeko moved about the board like she was a mastermind, but Edgeworth could see now, upon closer introspection, that she was limited as well, and her moves were made out of desperation. She existed as a rook, powerful and she had pieces that would sacrifice for her, like the pawn she had in Hifumi Yamada. However, she herself was a sacrifice to protect the king and queen. She’d been framed too. 

“Byakuya also had a period of time before the murders when he left Toko on purpose,” Toko is his pawn, Edgeworth mused, but did he even use her, or was he being thrown off? He continued talking, despite the swarm of thoughts buzzing in his head. “Also, Chihiro, and Mukuro. I believe the latter two have weak alibis, due to them being alone the whole night. They both say the same thing as well.” Mukuro could have a pawn as well, her sister, though Edgeworth noted that Junko didn’t seem nearly as timid or subservient as Toko. Chihiro, however, was the outlier in that she seemingly had no pawns protecting her. Maybe, she didn’t need them. Her attitude and stature were the disarming agents themselves. Edgeworth finally finished speaking, and he opened his eyes, clearing away his inner chessboard. Byakuya, Chihiro, and Mukuro were the three he was still unable to place. 

Wright was clearly deep in thought as well. Edgeworth noticed him tense at the mention of Mukuro and Chihiro. Had he discovered something. Wright crossed his arms. “They were both watching  _ Warriors of Hope vs. Despair,”  _ he said, referring to the two in question. “However, Chihiro said, uh, that she-” Wright seemed to hesitate slightly on that last part, as if he was correcting himself. Edgeworth chose not to comment. “-was in her room, but Mukuro never bothered to specify the location of where she was…” Wright trailed off, clearly wrestling with his thoughts. 

Edgeworth’s eyes narrowed, and he looked closely at Wright’s uneasy expression. He saw Maya giving him a knowing look, and Pearl gripped onto Maya’s robes as she looked at the floor. They clearly know something, Edgeworth thought. He caught the eye of Detective Kirigiri briefly, and she frowned, clearly bothered as well. Wright said that Mukuro never specified her location, but she’d told him and Detective Gumshoe she’d been in her room. Why would she tell him her location and not Wright--the magatama. Mukuro must have had to be vague with Wright, or else the magatama would’ve picked it up. Wright has to suspect her, but for some reason, he’s still holding back. 

“Wright, do you suspect Mukuro?” Edgeworth asked, opting for the direct approach. “I’ll admit, her talent does predispose her to killing.” The ultimate soldier would have no problem against the ultimate clairvoyant, Edgeworth thought with a grimace. It would hardly be a fight. 

“I-I,” Wright stuttered, and he avoided Edgeworth’s gaze. He looked conflicted, and Edgeworth felt a twinge of guilt for pushing him when he knew Wright wouldn’t want to be divisive, especially in front of Kyoko, a student. Wright cleared his throat, and his voice wobbled with uncertainty. “I wonder if someone like Mukuro would even like that show anyway,” Is that really what this is about, Edgeworth thought. Is that why he doubts her guilt?! “I’ll admit-” 

“-It may feature slapstick comedy, but it is far from mindless. I enjoy it and it does explore the possibilities of a person giving into their own despair… which is impressive considering their intended audience,” Edgeworth interjected. He personally liked the show, with it’s hidden meanings, not to mention the thematic executions disguised as something much more kid friendly. He wondered if Wright just needed the show explained to him, or to watch it with a more mature audience… though Pearl was perceptive for her age. Odds are, Wright was the densest one of the three when it came to television analysis. “You should try watching it with me, sometime. It’s no  _ Steel Samurai  _ but it is good. I can explain what I’ve seen to you.” 

“It’s a date,” Wright said, and his face began to redden. 

Edgeworth felt his own face begin to flush, and he could feel his heartbeat quicken. He hadn’t meant it like a date, but was that what he’d implied? For some reason, Edgeworth didn’t want to correct him. “I look forward to it, Wright,” Edgeworth said with a small nod, trying to maintain his composure. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Edgeworth saw Detective Gumshoe grinning as he was being elbowed by a mischievous looking Maya. Edgeworth made a note to look at Gumshoe’s salary again. Detective Kirigiri rolled her eyes, and Edgeworth was at least glad she was being professional--nevermind. Upon closer inspection, she was biting back a smile, and she even whispered something to Maya that caused the medium to giggle. The knowing glint in Kyoko’s eyes, along with Wright’s flustered face as he looked at anyone but Edgeworth caused Edgeworth’s blush to deepen, despite his best efforts. 

“I believe the verdict is that Mukuro could enjoy the show,” Detective Kirigiri said, reverting back to her usual serious nature. Edgeworth nearly sighed in relief, thoroughly embarrassed and grateful to be returning to the investigation. “Besides, there is more to Mukuro Ikusaba than meets the eye. Though, I will say that Makoto brings it out of her the most.” 

“Sayaka said the same thing,” Maya said. “In fact, she said that Mukuro likes him! Like loves kinda like. Did you know that?” Maya faced Detective Kirigiri as she said that. Edgeworth raised an eyebrow, and Gumshoe frowned. It appeared that Detective Kirigiri had some competition.

“I’ve suspected,” Detective Kirigiri said with a frown. “I can understand why she would. Makoto is a nice guy, and he is always especially nice to her.”

“Does that bother you?” Maya said, barely starting to smirk. Edgeworth resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the notion that Detective Kirigiri could be bothered by something so petty. 

“No,” Detective Kirigiri shook her head. “I’m not about to be the kind of person who will be bothered by something like that. Mukuro can like whoever she wants.” 

“Yeah, no worries!” Detective Gumshoe clapped Detective Kirigiri on the back. “He’s totally into you anyway, pal! This Mukuro girl will just have to find someone else!” Well, Gumshoe has obviously picked a side in this rather unfortunate love triangle, Edgeworth thought with a sigh. To be fair, based on what he’d seen from Makoto and Detective Kirigiri so far, Detective Gumshoe was probably right… then, could that be Mukuro’s motive? Could she be feeling spurned?

Detective Kirigiri blushed. “Here, let me show you what we have found.” Her voice snapped Edgeworth away from his current train of thought. 

Detective Kirigiri faced the three newcomers and gestured to their current evidence. They began to go through it, showing off the fragments and the gloves. Wright began to add their evidence to his list, and Edgeworth could see that he already had things he didn’t. Wright had found something odd on one of the glove shreds, a red chip of some sort, but he admitted he had no idea what it could be. Edgeworth found himself coming up short as well, so they put it aside for now, though Wright did ask to borrow the luminol fluid, which made Edgeworth wonder what exactly he needed it for. Detective Kirigiri then bade them to stand up, and she showed Wright the crystal shards inside the trash can, and explained their attachment to the gloves. Of course, she’d wound up with a cup of noodles on her head again, and Edgeworth barely resisted the urge to laugh. 

“Hey, did you check this trash can over here?” Maya asked, walking over to the can on the other side of the gym. “I know it’s not the one Celeste was talking about but oh!” Something seemingly caught the older Fey’s eye as she went headfirst into the trash can, beginning to rummage. 

Edgeworth saw Wright’s eyes widen, and he just hoped Maya wouldn’t get stuck, as it didn’t seem very productive to spend their investigation pulling her from the garbage. Pearl dashed forward to help her cousin, and Detective Gumshoe, for his credit, wasn’t far behind. Pearl, despite meaning well, wasn’t very effective, and it fell to Gumshoe to fish her from the garbage. When he plucked her out, she was carrying two fragments, but these were both black and white. The three came back to the group, and Detective Gumshoe suggested they fit the pieces together with the ones they’d already found. When they did it was…

“Monokuma?! Why would there be a Monokuma mask lying around-'' Edgeworth felt a headache coming on. Out of all the characters on that show, Monokuma and his creepy yet cutesy laugh never ceased to unnerve him. He was the embodiment of despair, after all. Edgeworth’s eyes flitted to the bottom of the mask, and he gestured at the white half. “-and look. Some of it is chipped off. Barely, but some.” 

“Look closer,” Detective Kirigiri said, taking a magnifying glass from her jacket. She held the magnifying glass over the chipped part. “This isn’t an even split, and there is a barely visible fleck of blood by it. I believe there was a struggle, and Hiro tore this from the killer’s face.”

Wright nodded. “Remember those shards we found the first day? Most of them were purple-ish and transparent, because they’re from the crystal ball. However, there were some white shards that didn’t fit mixed in.” Phoenix picked out the white shards from the bag. “If you feel these-” he handed them out to the group, and Edgeworth carefully felt them, “-they’re made of the same material of these fragments, and not the crystal shards, or even this porcelain shard from Celeste’s teacup!” 

“You, uh, should really bandage your hand, by the way, Nick.” Maya said, looking at the still-raw cut on Phoenix’s hand. Edgeworth wondered why he’d bothered to pick up a teacup shard in the first place.

“These are bloody as well,” Edgeworth said, gesturing to the white shards they’d found the first day. “I’d believe the victim had his own blood on his hands when he tried to rip the mask off, but he only managed to chip off a piece of this cheap plastic. Would this mean that the victim never saw his assailant’s face?” Edgeworth frowned as he thought of a particular piece of evidence. “He’d have no way of leaving any indication as to who-” 

“-We have a lead, actually,” Wright said suddenly. 

Edgeworth gave Wright his full attention as he began to talk about what he’d discovered. Of course, he’d ran into Franziska, and she’d been after Komaru Naegi after all. At least she was helping to investigate, Edgeworth reasoned, though part of her reasoning was no doubt because she had a soft spot for the younger Naegi. Wright showed the three his evidence: the defendant’s photo album, the note, and then he showed a handbook that was given to him by Chihiro that let him into Mukuro’s room. Edgeworth reevaluated his board yet again. If Chihiro were the mastermind, that would be a terrible move. However, it could be a deflection… though it seemed unlikely. He was rather relieved at that, though that relief dissipated once Wright revealed the files he, Maya, and Pearl found in Mukuro’s rather plain room. The files contained information about Wright, but they also had his information as well. Facing down von Karma was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do, and all the emotional turmoil he’d released that day was in the hands of the ultimate soldier. 

“Man, why can’t we get handbooks, pal?” Detective Gumshoe whined, tugging on Edgeworth’s sleeve. 

“I don’t think that’s the point here,” Edgeworth sighed, rolling his eyes. “Mukuro Ikusaba has information from our most important cases and evidence from the crime… this is not good. Her talent did make her a natural suspect.” 

Edgeworth berated himself for not seeing it before. She had the ability to kill, yet he’d considered others who wouldn’t, despite the odds. It was a classic case of Occam’s Razor, and he’d fallen victim to it. Detective Kirigiri crossed her arms and a look of frustration flashed across her cool features. Detective Kirigiri took the hoodie Wright found in Mukuro’s room, and motioned for him to use the luminol fluid. He sprayed it, and the jacket was awash in blue splotches from blood presumably washed off. Edgeworth’s face went pale. They had her, yet something didn’t sit right with him. He looked at the photos, noticing just how happy Mukuro looked around Makoto and he just couldn’t see her hurting him. 

“Guess that settles it,” Gumshoe sighed. “This Mukuro girl is the culprit, pal.”

“Damn it,” Detective Kirigiri swore. Her teeth were clenched and her hands curled into fists. “Ikusaba was getting better. I thought she was… I don’t understand. She likes Makoto, and she has nothing against Hagakure. This whole setup… but everything points to her.” 

“I really do think she likes Mr. Naegi,” Edgeworth said, gesturing to the photos. “Just look at these photos. She is looking at him with such fondness in every photo. Maybe… Makoto was an accident to frame.” Edgeworth’s mind began to race. “Think about it. Makoto is an outlier. Celeste and Toko are acquired tastes, but Makoto is unanimously liked. His frame up was the most up to chance. He could’ve easily never gone to Hiro’s room, and stuck by the gym. He could’ve never touched the knife. There are so many variables in his frame up… maybe Ikusaba never meant to implicate him.” 

Detective Kirigiri’s eyebrows furrowed. “That’s plausible. However, I’m just not sure, there’s something here that I’m not sure about. I don’t know what… but this feels… incomplete. How did Mukuro know about Makoto and Hiro’s study session? If she did and exploited it, this would have to be intentional, despite the risks mentioned. Why Hiro in the first place and not Makoto? Why the Monokuma mask?” 

Wright’s eyes widened and he went rigid. “We need to confront Makoto, he’s got the answers. If he’s covering for Mukuro, it’s about time we found out why.” 

Edgeworth’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Why would Mr. Naegi cover for the murderer? He’s the one on trial!” He’d wondered if Makoto had any agency, but the fact that he actually would cover for the killer after she’d framed him was beyond him, accident or not. Couldn’t he see the devastation she’d caused? 

“I-I don’t know,” Wright admitted. He looked troubled and conflicted. Knowing Wright, he wasn’t looking forward to interrogating his own client. He knew how much Wright valued trust. “He said he isn’t defending the murderer,” Wright’s frown deepened. “… but… we need to talk to him.”

Detective Kirigiri nodded, and a hint of sadness flashed in her eyes. Edgeworth wondered if she was upset for Makoto or Mukuro. Detective Kirigiri looked right at Wright, not letting up. “Make him understand that Mukuro isn’t his responsibility. Make him realize that she hasn’t offered anything up yet. Makoto isn’t being malicious… but his faith and hope in others can’t sink this case like this. We need him to come clean. I believe you guys have the tools to make that happen. We’ll keep looking here.” 

“Don’t worry,” Pearl said, rolling up her sleeve with a determined expression. “We can totally make that happen! We’ll get the truth, because we have the magatama, and Mr. Nick!” 

Wright turned to Pearl and was about to say something, when a sudden shouting interrupted him. All six of them fell silent and turned towards the door. The fragile peace outside could only last so long, Edgeworth reasoned. He was glad he wasn’t going to have to deal with it, and Wright didn’t look happy to have to go into the frey. Pearl held onto Maya, the latter sighing sadly and wrapping an arm around Pearl. Detective Gumshoe cringed and looked worriedly at Kyoko, who just shook her head and began to note the evidence they were shown. She’s trying to avoid letting it get to her, Edgeworth saw. Based on the way he saw her hands barely tremble as she held her pen, it wasn’t easy. Edgeworth turned back to wish Wright, Maya, and Pearl luck, but they were already heading out the door. 

“Hey, you think Prosecutor von Karma is out there, sir?” Detective Gumshoe asked. 

“I doubt it,” Edgeworth said. “I doubt she’d let that squabbling continue if she was. She doesn’t have much patience for that sort of nonsense. She’d silence it.” 

“You really think she’d whip them?” Gumshoe’s eyes widened. “They’re kids!” 

“They’re practically adults at our age, Detective,” Kyoko’s voice barely cracked. “They should be called out for handling this poorly. They’re going to just open this wound further and further…” 

“What are you saying, Detective?” Gumshoe asked. 

“I’m saying they need someone to talk some sense into them,” Detective Kirigiri sighed. “The Headmaster is in no state to do so, and Makoto is the best uniter of the class… and he’s in jail. I couldn’t do it, as I am technically a student and suspect as well, so my words won’t hold any weight… especially since I have a reputation as being aloof and rather unfeeling at times.” 

“You’re saying they need some authority,” Edgeworth said, crossing his arms. 

The Headmaster really needed to shape up in his eyes, he was a man coming down from space when he was needed here on Earth years before. Was this school always a powder keg then, if it was run by a man with a head full of dreams?

Edgeworth turned to Kyoko, a few of her words hadn’t sat quite right with him. “What do you mean by technically a student? You are a student.” 

“Not now.” Detective Kirigiri frowned. “I’m a detective now, first and foremost, and a student second. I must remain that way if I want to investigate this case, despite how it may seem to my classmates that I have become detached.” Edgeworth frowned. Detective Kirigiri was ready to begin a career, no doubt, but she’d need to realize that sometimes, this overlap and duality was okay. She’d need to come to terms with that duality in this case. 

“I don’t believe they think that at all, pal,” Detective Gumshoe said, concern creeping into his voice. “I bet they all know how hard this is for you too, and how tough you are for investigating and helping despite that.” 

“Yes, Maya said something similar to me,” Kyoko said, not commenting on the use of the word pal. “Still, they are going to begin passing around blame, and my name may come up. Though… on my way in here, I overheard the beginnings of a previous argument and I don’t think I will be the main source of discord.” 

Edgeworth looked towards the door, where he could hear the shouts getting louder. “What exactly did you hear?” 

“Well,” Detective Kirigiri said, “The main discourse appeared to be brewing between Leon and Byakuya. Leon was quite angry after the trial, and he began to wonder who else was lying after the trial was over, and Byakuya told him he was being foolish… and I left because I thought they were both being idiots. They're back in each other’s proximity again and that isn’t good.” 

“Wait, who all was there?” Gumshoe asked, looking at his notes. “We, uh, haven’t seen Chihiro Fujisaki or Sayaka Maizono at all yet today.” 

“Well, Sayaka was visiting Makoto for a brief period of time, though she is definitely back now, and in fact, Chihiro was up next, and I believe she’d be back as well,” Detective Kirigiri said. “Kiyotaka is probably there now… so that would also explain why the fighting is reaching fever pitch. Part of Kiyotaka’s talent is breaking up fights.” 

Edgeworth frowned as the yelling continued, the voices mashing together so he couldn’t make out a coherent word. “Do you think the killer counted on Kiyotaka’s absence? Did they start the argument this time?” 

“Uh, we wouldn’t know, sir,” Gumshoe said, tucking his pen behind his ear. “We’ve been in here the whole time-” Before Detective Gumshoe could continue, a muffled  _ crack  _ rang out from just outside the door.  __

_ Crack. _

_ Crack.  _

“I guess Prosecutor von Karma showed up, huh?” Detective Gumshoe managed with a small chuckle. 

Neither Edgeworth nor Detective Kirigiri responded, as the outside fell deathly silent. Where had Wright been that whole time, Edgeworth wondered. Had he tried to stop it, or had he realized his words wouldn’t be enough? It certainly wasn’t a great sign that a whip was what it took to finally get them to stop. Edgeworth could hear a sharp voice, but couldn’t make out the words. He recognized the voice as Franziska’s, and her speech was followed by the sound of footsteps, and he was relieved to know the ultimates were dispersing, at least. Her voice got quieter, and Edgeworth could no longer hear the muffled outline of her voice. 

“Finally,” Kyoko sighed. “I couldn’t concentrate on the evidence with them squabbling right outside the door… and it’s nice to know they’re not fighting anymore.” 

“I wonder what Franziska found,” Edgeworth mused aloud. “And I wonder what she said to stop the fighting.” 

“You don’t have to wonder much longer, little brother.” Franziska walked in, brushing hair out of her face with one hand as the other hand rested on her whip. “I told those ultimates to shape up, they are allowing their killer to pit them against each other, and such. I do not feel as if I need to repeat myself, as everyone in this room can see that… except scruffy.” Gumshoe pouted as Franziska continued. “Komaru Naegi and I happened upon the scene… it was utter chaos.” 

Edgeworth crossed his arms. “You just wandered off, to meet with Komaru Naegi of all people?” 

“I can investigate as I please,” Franziska said, rolling her eyes. “Besides, Komaru Naegi is a valuable investigative partner. She has a unique perspective due to being the defendant’s sibling, and she had his trust, so we were able to get into his room very easily.” 

Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. “Did the defendant have Chihiro give you a, uh, ultimate handbook as well?” 

“No,” Franziska shook her head. “She happened to have possession of the defendant’s handbook, and was holding onto it for him, and we used it to get into the defendant’s room and retrieve a photo album he wanted Komaru to get for him.” Edgeworth noticed Kyoko’s eyebrows furrow, and she crossed her arms with a frown. Had she not known that? Franziska looked at Kyoko, and she crossed her arms. “Why are you upset, Detective?” 

Kyoko tried to reset her facial expression, but it was too late. Everyone knew she was upset. Kyoko turned to Franziska. “It’s just that… I don’t get why Makoto wouldn’t tell me about his handbook… or the photo album… I’m trying to help him. He didn’t even tell Mr. Wright, and he’s his lawyer. What is he thinking?” Kyoko looked almost… distraught. 

If Kyoko was anything like him, she probably was very selective with the people she placed her complete trust in. Wright was one of his few, and Makoto was probably one of hers. They were both so similar, Edgeworth realized, he and Kyoko were attracted to the aura of positivity and hopefulness that followed people like Wright and Makoto. Maybe, it was that hopeful aura that allowed them to finally let their guards down, as if they could sense they were finally around someone who would never hurt them… and that feeling was being challenged right now for Kyoko. Edgeworth wanted to reassure her that Makoto cared, but how could he? He didn’t know if he’d even be telling the truth, as it was obvious the only person Makoto was thinking about with his role in obscuring evidence was Mukuro Ikusaba. He wondered if Makoto would talk, if he could only see what it was doing to Kyoko. 

“Familial trust is a powerful thing, Detective,” Franziska’s eyes briefly flitted to Edgeworth before she faced Kyoko. Her expression was serious, yet there was an air of pity in her eyes as well. “Komaru and Makoto Naegi are bound together by the bonds of family… so regardless of his goal in hiding his intentions from everyone… he knew he could trust his sister to carry out his will. It doesn’t hurt to mention that Komaru Naegi is a very admirable and supportive little sister with a good head on her shoulders.” 

“You’re just saying that because you’ve gone soft,” Edgeworth quipped. “Ow!” He felt Franziska’s whip hit his legs. 

“Do not say that sort of thing again, Miles Edgeworth.” Franziska held her whip above her head. “I am not soft, I just have the ability to recognize a person of great character. She does as well,” Franziska reached into her pocket and pulled out a drawing, showing her fighting off a demon horde with her whip. “Komaru gave this to me, showing how I fight for justice.” 

“I wish I got a cool drawing,” Detective Gumshoe sulked. 

“Anyway,” Kyoko sighed. “I understand what you’re saying. The thing that confuses me is that if Makoto wanted Komaru to get the album for him, how did Mr. Wright wind up with it? That would mean Komaru disobeyed Makoto-” 

“-She did the right thing,” Franziska insisted. “That Naegi boy is crippling himself with his hesitance, and as his sister, Komaru gave up the evidence to help him… because he is not helping himself. Wright is off to confront him as we speak.” 

Kyoko’s eyes widened, and her shoulders slumped as if she were relieved. “I’m glad she did that. If anyone can get the truth out of him now, it’s Phoenix Wright.” Detective Kirigiri turned to Franziska. “What else did you find in Makoto’s room? I’d assume you and Komaru were in there longer than Mr. Wright.” 

Franziska nodded and took out a sketch of a closet, presumably the defendant’s. There were hoodies hanging up, and Franziska explained that there were three missing: the one the defendant currently wore, the one he wore on the night of the crime, and the one borrowed by “M”, though it was fairly obvious that M was Mukuro. 

“What did you three find?” Franziska asked. 

Edgeworth explained their discoveries to her, Detectives Kirigiri and Gumshoe occasionally interjecting as well. Edgeworth could see the gears in Franziska’s head turning, and he wondered what she was thinking. After all, they tended to have very similar thought processes, though he wasn’t sure that Franziska always played mental chess while she investigated. 

“So, Miles Edgeworth,” Franziska placed her hands on her hips. “It appears that Miss Mukuro Ikusaba has taken her place as our culprit. I will say, she was not one of the instigators of that fight outside, from what I can tell. In fact, she never said a word while I was there.”

“She’s a quiet person,” Detective Kirigiri said. “However, she is the ultimate soldier. She waits for her moment to strike.” 

“The way you speak about her is rather formal,” Franziska said. “Are you two not friends? Before this incident took place, I was under the impression that the ultimates of Hope’s Peak were rather unified.” 

“We were friends,” Kyoko said with a dark expression. “However, I’m a detective, and she’s clearly involved in a crime. I won’t hesitate to condemn her once her guilt is assured.” 

“I appreciate your professionalism,” Franziska said. “However, there is one thing that bothers me considering the evidence thus far. How was Mukuro Ikusaba able to clean the hoodie? After all, you mentioned to me that the hoodie is now clean, and you never said anything about Wright finding cleaning supplies in her room. She couldn’t have taken it to the laundromat if it were covered in blood.” 

Edgeworth furrowed his eyebrows. “You’re right. However, a lot has happened in this gymnasium, clearly. Maybe the answer is here too. Everyone separate and look for anything that could’ve been used to clean the hoodie.”

The four all separated to search. Detectives Kirigiri and Gumshoe each took a trash can, and Franziska looked up on the stage of the gymnasium, with it’s mural of a bonsai tree and podium. Edgeworth himself decided to look under the bleachers. Mukuro was sending them on a scavenger hunt, no doubt, but there was no guaranteeing they were going to find anything. 

“I just found this,” Franziska’s voice echoed, and the three turned to where she was holding a large water bottle. “I found it under the podium,” she said. 

Edgeworth turned to look at the bleachers, and his eyes widened. He pulled out an empty water bottle with the same branding as Franziska’s. Eyeing the water bottle, Detective Kirigiri rummaged around in her trash can before producing one just like it. Finally seeing everyone else’s discoveries, Detective Gumshoe began flinging trash left and right before coming up with his own water bottle. 

“So, this is how she did it,” Edgeworth gestured to the water bottles. “These are rather big, and I’d assume she’d only clean the hoodie, so this would be enough… but it seems so unnecessary to hide them at four separate points in the gym.” 

“I agree,” Detective Kirigiri crossed her arms. “First of all, it would’ve been smarter to strip them of their labels, and maybe put them all in the trash, so they don’t stick out. The killer wanted these to be found… and there’s something that bothers me even more than any of that.” 

“What is it, Detective?” Gumshoe asked. 

“This isn’t something that Mukuro would do,” Kyoko explained. “She isn’t this… overzealous. You’ve noticed how she is,” she turned to Edgeworth. “She’s quiet, concise. That’s the real her. She’s the ultimate soldier, so she’s learned to not mince words or waste time. This is an irrational waste of time, and she wouldn’t do this. She’d hide these water bottles in the trash and be done with it. This doesn’t fit her at all. She isn’t the type to mess with someone. This was done to be elaborate, and to mess with the investigators, I’d assume.” 

Edgeworth processed her words, and he froze. She was exactly right, he realized. Detective Kirigiri knew the board better than him as well, and based on her assessment, Mukuro was no chessmaster. Still, it was her Edgeworth saw across the board, but her movements didn’t fit her now. It was as if she was being puppeteered to make moves by a higher power… though Edgeworth was at a loss for what it could be. Mukuro could be deceiving Detective Kirigiri, but somehow, he doubted it. From what he saw of Mukuro, and how Wright had described her room during his explanation, this was a correct assessment. 

“That is true,” Edgeworth managed at last. “And, as I mentioned earlier, her love for the defendant shown in the photographs just seems so genuine… those two things are making me hesitate. I see her as the mastermind so easily, then those two facts come in and destroy my vision.” 

“You and your chessboard,” Franziska sighed, and Edgeworth pursed his lips, ignoring Detective Kirigiri’s confused look. Franziska crossed her arms. “I do wonder about the weapons, then. I mean, the knife found on the defendant… was that her killing weapon? I don’t imagine the scissors are her weapon of choice.” 

Detective Kirigiri gasped, and she pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers. “She specializes in knives,” Detective Kirigiri spat. “How could I not put it together? That knife that Makoto found… it’s hers. The knife looked odd because it’s a survival knife, used specifically by soldiers. She probably wore the gloves to prevent getting her own prints on the knife, and so Makoto’s fresh prints could overtake hers… assuming she used her own survival knife.” Detective Kirigiri turned to Edgeworth. “Don’t you remember seeing a sheathed knife in the photos, Prosecutor?” 

“Yes,” Edgeworth admitted. “If that knife is the same… then this doesn’t make sense at all. Why would she use a weapon that implicates her? I mean, isn’t that the reason we let Toko off?” 

“It seems strange that amidst all these details and framings, she uses a weapon that could be traced back to her,” Franziska added. “Though, I do wonder, how many options are there for weapons at this school anyway?” 

“I bet there are plenty for anyone creative enough,” Edgeworth replied. “In fact, I have half a mind to see for myself. I want to walk around the school and take note of anything that could’ve been used, and see if there was an attempt, or just to note what Mukuro could’ve done instead.” Truthfully, the gymnasium was starting to get a bit stifling for Edgeworth. Normally, he’d be outside prepping a witness, but no one had come forward. Maybe he could start seeing if the students were ready to be spoken to. 

“I’ll stay with the detectives, and I want a more thorough briefing from Kirigiri,” Franziska said. “You could use the exercise, Miles Edgeworth. Get out there.” Before Edgeworth could come up with a retort of his own, Franziska was pushing him out the door. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May 2nd

Nurse’s Office

This school is a potential killer’s dream, Edgeworth realized. He’d already taken note of several different weapons. There were the array of kitchen knives in the kitchen, though none of them were a touch out of place. The only thing out of place was a milk carton, presumably from Taeko making tea, which Edgeworth opted to return to the refrigerator himself. He’d seen a replica sword, but it was safely behind a locked display case. He saw dumbells in the gymnasium, and cords for a possible strangulation in the library. These were all things the ultimate soldier could use to kill, and no one could link it to her. The knife just seemed to be a trap now… but why would the killer trap herself? He hadn’t run into any students during his search until he got to the nurse’s office on the third floor. 

“Mondo, I have already told you, I will not be punishing anyone! This set of circumstances is just too unusual for me to place judgment on anyone!” Kiyotaka’s voice rang out from the nurse’s office. 

“Kiyo, I fucked up. Jus’ look at Chihiro! Ya trusted me, and I failed-” Mondo stopped dead as Edgeworth walked into the office, and avoided his gaze. Edgeworth could see that Mondo’s normal hairstyle was coming undone, and he looked like he’d been close to tears. 

“Good afternoon, prosecutor!” Kiyotaka gave him a salute. “Would you like some tea?” Kiyotaka offered Edgeworth a tea cup from the dresser by one of the cots. “Celeste and Hifumi made tea for everyone, and I have yet to partake in mine. You may have it instead.” 

“No thank you,” Edgeworth shook his head. He wouldn’t trust anything from Taeko, regardless of the seeming kindness of the gesture. 

“What are ya doin’ here? We’ve got nothin’ for ya.” Mondo gave him a rather sour look before turning back to focus on the cot in front of them. 

“Mondo, don’t be rude!” Kiyotaka chided. “Prosecutor Edgeworth is doing his job!” 

Mondo pursed his lips. Edgeworth reasoned he probably didn’t do well with authority figures, and he figured Mondo would at the very least view him as very uptight, and therefore, not very respectable in his eyes. How he and Kiyotaka of all people were dating was absolutely beyond him. Edgeworth chose not to respond to Mondo’s rude tone and instead looked ahead to the figure resting on the cot. The boys were watching over a sleeping Chihiro Fujisaki. The poor girl looked absolutely exhausted, she had to be, if she’d slept through being in a room with Kiyotaka. Upon closer inspection, Edgeworth saw that her arm was in a sling. 

“What happened to her?” Edgeworth asked. “Did the killer try to strike?” There were police around campus, how could they have failed to prevent this-

“-No. ‘S my fault.” Mondo looked briefly at Chihiro, his eyes flickering with guilt. “There was a fight earlier… and I accidentally injured her, in fact, Taka was the one who patched her up officially when he got here.” 

“I have experience treating injuries, but you did an admirable job before I’d even come,” Kiyotaka gave Mondo’s hand an encouraging squeeze, but it didn’t appear to do much to ease the other’s obvious guilt. 

“Did she say something to upset you?” Edgeworth asked Mondo. Chihiro was on his list of suspects still, and maybe she’d been trying to goad Mondo. Based on his record that Edgeworth had taken the liberty to read up on, it wouldn’t be hard. “Was she trying to-” 

“-Don’t you fuckin’ dare say anythin’ to even imply it was her fault,” Mondo glowered at Edgeworth, and Edgeworth steeled himself. Kiyotaka gave Mondo a sharp look, and the latter took a deep breath. “Leon and I were gettin’ into it, and she tried to stop us. I shoved her to the ground without even realizin’ it. Taka… he trusted me to mediate while he was gone, and I lost my cool. This ain’t on Chihiro at all. ” 

Edgeworth bit back the urge to correct Mondo’s grammar, and instead opted for an apology. “I’m sorry,” he said. “You clearly care a great deal about your class then, Miss Fujisaki included. So, she did nothing to instigate the fight?” 

“No,” Mondo shook his head. “She tried to stop it. She tried to do what I shoulda been doin’ the whole time, or what Taka woulda done if he was there.” 

“It is my fault,” Kiyotaka continued to hold Mondo’s hand. “It is my duty to watch over my classmates, and I failed by leaving in the first place. I wanted to visit Makoto… but that was selfish of me.” 

Mondo sighed. “Kyoudai, come on. Ya aren’t a babysitter. Besides, it got broken up anyway by that chick with the whip. Me n’ Leon got the worst of that whip, I swear. She hardly hit Hina.” 

“I don’t approve of corporal punishment,” Kiyotaka frowned. “Was anyone badly hurt?” 

“Franziska aims to stun,” Edgeworth said. “It’s mainly a show of force and precision to command attention on her part… don’t tell her I said that.” 

“She doesn’t seem like the type of chick ya want mad at ya,” Mondo said. 

“I doubt she’d appreciate being called a chick either,” Edgeworth managed a small grin, and Kiyotaka managed a small laugh as Mondo blushed. 

“I heard about what Prosecutor von Karma said to everyone,” Kiyotaka turned to Edgeworth. “It was harsh… but necessary. We need to stick together, after all! I cannot believe that one of us would do this, after all! Maybe there is hope yet that this is all a misunderstanding.” 

“No,” Edgeworth shook his head. “Faith is a good thing to have, Mr. Ishimaru, but don’t let it blind you. One of your fellows is guilty.” Edgeworth noticed Kiyotaka’s eyes fall to the floor, but he continued. “I am not accusing either one of you, as your alibis are very straightforward, and you gave very reliable testimony, Mr. Ishimaru.” 

“But Makoto wasn’t the culprit,” Kiyotaka’s eyebrows furrowed. “My testimony was awful and shameful! I deserve that whip as well for my shortcomings in this case! I wasn’t there for Hiro, I helped to get Makoto convicted and I failed to be around when I was actually needed!” 

“Stop fuckin’ saying that!” Mondo shouted, despite Chihiro trying to sleep. “You’re one of the few people here who we all know didn’t do shit wrong! Stop tryin’ to make this all your fault, because it fuckin’ isn’t! If I weren’t a good for nothin’ delinquent, I woulda been able to calm Leon the hell down instead of throwin’ punches!” 

Edgeworth sighed, glad Franziska wasn’t here, or else she’d probably take Kiyotaka up on his rather masochistic request. Kiyotaka and Mondo continued to argue about whose fault the whole incident was, despite the real answer being neither of them, and it was giving Edgeworth a splitting headache. He hasn’t even been able to take stock of potential weapons, which was all he came to do anyway. 

“Stop this at once!” Edgeworth was surprised by his own forcefulness. “Your back and forth will change nothing! Yasuhiro Hagakure is dead, and neither of you can change that. That rather unfortunate scuffle happened, and there is nothing you can do to change that as well. Neither of you are in the wrong.” Edgeworth’s voice softened. “Whoever is doing this is probably having a field day as you argue. They want you to blame yourselves, anyone but them, truly. You both are cleared in my book… but you need to get yourselves together, or else you are still playing the killer’s game, despite Franziska stopping the fight!” 

Kiyotaka stood upright. “Prosecutor, it is very admirable of you to try and tell us this… and it is true… but you don’t truly know everything, do you? I would bet you still have judgments about people in our class that are wrong. I mean, based on your questions earlier, you were starting to suspect Chihiro! You trusted me with my testimony-” 

“-That is probably the worst example, Mr. Ishimaru,” Edgeworth said, looking at Kiyotaka earnestly. “I will admit I have been wrong about a lot of things with your class. I probably will continue to be. However, trusting you was one of my better judgment calls. You are honest, straightforward, and honorable. Your testimony was the truth… you spoke about a crime scene that was manipulated for you to believe a certain truth, but it was what you saw. The only thing that surprised me about you was that you wanted to be a politician… and that you and Mr. Owada get along so well… seemingly.” Edgeworth said. Truthfully, he saw Kiyotaka as much too honest and kind to be a politician. If he had to guess, based on his pattern of blaming himself, he was becoming a politician to atone for the misdeeds of his grandfather, seeing it as his fault for being of the same ilk. Edgeworth crossed his arms, thinking back to his own reasons for becoming a prosecutor… being unable to shake the demons of his past as well. 

“That is… very kind of you, sir,” Kiyotaka said, turning to meet Edgeworth’s gaze. “What you said to me on the stand about being brave and the way you managed to get me out of bringing up my grandfather… I was very grateful to you, prosecutor.” 

“It was cool of ya,” Mondo mumbled. “I guess.” 

“I owe basic courtesy to my witnesses,and I did not believe your past to be necessary information. Based on what I’ve heard and read from court documents… you’ve suffered enough for your last name.” There were death threats, injury reports, relocations concerning the Ishimarus that Edgeworth read up on in law school. To think a child would have to deal with that was rather harrowing. Edgeworth turned to Mondo. “I do believe that’s the nicest thing you’ve said to me, Mr. Owada. If you’d be so kind, I have one last question to ask you.” 

“Go for it.” 

“Who did start that fight?” Edgeworth crossed his arms. He doubted Mondo himself started the fight, based on how serious he was about getting Kiyotaka to stop blaming himself, but he could know who did. Maybe a spare remark by Mukuro-

“-I don’t even remember who started talkin’ first,” Mondo ran a hand through his disheveled pompadour. “I just know Togami said some shit about everyone bein’ suspects, and that’s what caused Leon to lose his cool and punch ‘im. If ya ask me, Togami instigated it. Then, Jill jumped in on his behalf-” Edgeworth grimaced, knowing Jill had been involved, if even for a moment. “-An’ that’s when I tried to get Leon to stop… and we fought. That’s all I remember before we all got whipped.” 

Edgeworth felt vaguely queasy, remembering what he’d said to Byakuya at the beginning of the day. Had he given Byakuya the ammunition to start a fight? At the very least, it appeared that Byakuya hadn't gotten out unscathed, in fact, he’d been attacked first. Edgeworth doubted someone as controlled as Byakuya would want one of his potential chess pieces to turn on him, to make him lose his illusion of control. This didn’t fit Byakuya… despite it appearing as if he were the instigator. Chihiro didn’t fit either, as she’d gotten injured trying to stop the fighting. Mukuro, however, was unscathed, and Mondo hadn’t even mentioned her. She’d faded into the background yet again. Edgeworth frowned. 

“What exactly did you come in here for, Prosecutor?” Kiyotaka asked. 

“I came to see if there is anything in here that could be used as a potential weapon,” Edgeworth said, eager to get back to the task at hand. “I have been making a tally of potential school hazards.” 

“There’s a fuckin’ lot in here,” Mondo said, getting up from his seat, and he went towards the fridge. “There are blood packs in here.” 

“Not to mention all the various syringes, scalpels, and other sharp objects,” Kiyotaka said, opening a drawer to reveal multiple sharp objects. Edgeworth’s eyes widened. “Oh!” Kiyotaka snapped his fingers. “Tsumiki must’ve kept a list somewhere! I used to assist her at times, but I forgot where she kept it.” 

“Yeah, she did,” Chihiro mumbled sleepily, rubbing her eyes. 

“I’m sorry!” Kiyotaka looked guiltily at Chihiro. “I did not mean to wake you! You need rest!” 

“It’s okay,” Chihiro yawned. “It’s uh, nice to see you, Prosecutor Edgeworth. I hope you’re okay… considering today’s trial. Jill is a lot.” 

“I personally was more irritated with Taeko,” Edgeworth sighed. “I didn’t appreciate her lies.” 

“What she did wasn’t good,” Chihiro admitted, “But I really think you should call her Celeste, Prosecutor. It’s what she likes.” 

“Why are you defending her?” Edgeworth questioned sharply. 

Chihiro shrank back, and Edgeworth immediately regretted his tone. Chihiro sighed. “I-it’s just that Celeste likes to be called Celeste because it suits her more than her own name. It’s the name that finally made her feel comfortable in her own skin… and it isn’t easy to feel that way. You don’t have to agree with her, or even like her… thought I’ll say she is my friend. I just think you should call her Celeste anyway.” Chihiro looked at the floor. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to lecture you.” 

“No,” Edgeworth shook his head. “I see your point. I-I apologize.”

“You, uh, don’t have to apologize to me,” Chihiro said. “I mean, I get why you’re mad at Celeste. She really did kinda lose it in there…” Chihiro turned to a laptop that was on the shelf beside her cot. 

She flipped it open to reveal a version of her staring back. She typed into it. “Hello!” Edgeworth’s eyes widened. It talked! “What do you need, Master?” Chihiro typed into the computer, and Edgeworth found it odd that Chihiro’s computer would refer to her by masculine pronouns… though it was even odder that it talked at all. 

Mondo snickered. “Kiyo,” he chuckled. “Look at his face! Ow!” Kiyotaka elbowed Mondo, though Edgeworth could see him hiding his mouth behind his hand. 

Mondo whispered something to Kiyotaka, and the moral compass couldn’t hide his smile. Mondo blushed and grinned as well, clearly happy he’d made Kiyotaka have an expression that wasn’t worry or anger. Edgeworth hadn’t realized he’d looked so comically shocked, though he was a bit glad he’d inadvertently brought a bit of levity. He tended to only bring bad news, so this was a nice change. 

“This is Alter Ego,” Chihiro said. “It’s an AI that has its own conscience and knowledge base… though I will say its knowledge of you is limited at the moment. I asked h-it to bring up a list of Mikan’s nursing supplies, and I extended it to other potential hazards in the school as well. This will save you your trip… I may have already been waking up when you were talking.” Chihiro managed a small smile. 

“That is very helpful, and very impressive, Miss Fujisaki,” Edgeworth said. “I’d heard of this programming, but I had yet to see it in person. Truly, you are an ultimate. Wright was lucky to have you in his corner with that handbook.” 

“Thank you!” Chihiro smiled a bit wider. “You’re, uh, surprisingly nice for someone called a demon prosecutor!” Chihiro placed a hand over her mouth, but Edgeworth only looked bemused. 

“I see my reputation cost me when it came to receiving a handbook,” he said. 

Chihiro looked at the floor. “I-I could only finish one. It took me all night.” 

“It is quite alright,” Edgeworth replied. “I have done enough investigating on my own. I must ask, are you sticking to your alibi?” 

Chihiro nodded. “I-I know that people probably suspect me… but it’s the truth. I just wish that the class could even be in the same room to hear me out-” 

“-They should be!” Kiyotaka jumped up. “We need to stick together… and begin to repair our trust!” Kiyotaka placed a hand under his chin. “We should go somewhere we could have fun… the game room! We’ll gather everyone available there so we can begin to become a unified force again!” Kiyotaka’s eyes blazed with determination as he grabbed Mondo’s arm before the latter could protest, and dragged him out of the room to begin the search. 

“I-I guess I should go too,” Chihiro said. 

“I’m done, Master!” Alter Ego’s face vanished from the laptop to reveal a list of things in the nurse’s office, and then it expanded to the rest of the school. 

Edgeworth squinted as he looked at the list. There were poisons in the chem lab on the fourth floor, potentially dangerous gardening supplies on the fifth floor, not to mention any personal items a student could have. Edgeworth’s mind began to race, and he realized that anything could be used as a weapon if a student got creative enough, nevermind the obvious ones. Was this a dead end? No. This proves… that Mukuro’s knife had to be intentional… yet why would she do that? It seemed so illogical, especially from someone who’d seemingly had everything else planned to a T. 

“Uh, thank you,” Edgeworth said at last, speaking to the computer. 

Chihiro giggled with a blush. “You have to type it, Prosecutor.” 

Edgeworth managed a half smile as he typed into Alter Ego. Chihiro smiled back at him, trying to make him feel better about his mistake. Even with spending this small amount of time with the programmer, Edgeworth found it harder and harder to visualise her as the mastermind. She was just too nice. The way Mondo jumped to defend her earlier (though it could’ve been due to guilt), and even the way Kiyotaka attributed his suspecting Chihiro as a misread made Edgeworth see that Chihiro was someone who could get along with just about anybody, even a delinquent. 

“It was no problem to assist you, Prosecutor Edgeworth!” Alter Ego smiled at him. “I wish you the best on your investigation, though I will ask you to try and not convict Makoto Naegi. He is my friend, and master’s friend as well! Master and the rest of the class will be sad if Makoto is convicted!” 

Edgeworth sighed. Makoto really was beloved by everyone, even AI… so why would he do this to the class? Why would he withhold information, especially from Wright of all people? Edgeworth turned to Chihiro. “Tell your computer that I’ll find the truth... “ Edgeworth said, as he began to leave the office. “Even if the outcome is… less than desirable. I trust you and the others won’t give into wallowing, Miss Fujisaki. Now, more than ever, you all need to stick together. That is something the killer won’t want, so you must do it.” 

“I’ll try, Prosecutor Edgeworth,” Chihiro said, typing into Alter Ego. “I want us all to be friends again… if that’s even possible by now. Still… I won’t lose hope! I know my classmates… I know they all can be good!” With a determined look in her eye, Chihiro sprang up and ran out of the room, presumably to the game room. 

Edgeworth waved after her as she left. Chihiro Fujisaki wasn’t the killer, not in his eyes. The killer seemed to be someone so devoid of compassion and care, that Chihiro just didn’t fit the bill. Her genuine kindness and help lent to both him and Wright caused her image to vanish from the chessboard; she was no longer the potential mastermind, but a mere piece to be used to distract him from the actual moves being made. The mastermind was Mukuro Ikusaba… right? Why, then, had she made such an obvious blunder when there was an abundance of other moves to be made?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May 2nd

Gymnasium

“How was your little walk, Miles Edgeworth?” Franziska asked as Edgeworth walked in. “You look rather exhausted. Maybe you need a regular fitness routine.” 

“It’s not that,” Edgeworth frowned. “I found so many other things at this school that can be used as weapons… but she chose that knife… it bothers me. I try to visualise her as our mastermind… but it isn’t coming together!” Edgeworth could feel the frustration bubbling inside him. There was something crucial he was missing. 

“Prosecutor von Karma, Detective Gumshoe, and I were discussing that very thing,” Detective Kirigiri said. “It doesn’t fit with every other piece of evidence shown, and it doesn’t fit Mukuro’s personality at all.” 

“Tell him about your other issue, Detective,” Gumshoe said, prodding Detective Kirigiri. “It’s about that mask.” 

“Right,” Detective Kirigiri said. “I’ve been wondering why the killer, Mukuro, chose to wear a Monokuma mask. It’s symbolic, obviously, of despair and whatnot… but why would she choose it? Is it to go along with the theme from the three of swords?” Detective Kirigiri crossed her arms. “The thing that bothers me the most… is that Junko is known to be a huge fan of Monokuma's, you've seen her hair clips after all. She talks about that little cartoon bear all the time… wouldn’t this point to her, then? Why would Mukuro potentially implicate her own sister?” 

“She’s had no problem implicating her friends up until this point,” Edgeworth replied. “Not to mention she appears to have a lot of affection for the defendant in the photos, yet he is the one that took the fall for her crime.”

“You don’t understand,” Detective Kirigiri said. “Mukuro… she never had anyone but Junko. Her history is in files my father has. She was a child soldier, she had no one to live for besides Junko… and she survived her fights without a single scratch. She still clings to Junko like a life preserver, even with her new friends. The only person she’s even shown a slight willingness to loosen her grip for is Makoto. There is no way she’d betray Junko… yet this mask was an intentional choice.” 

“What if this Junko chick told Mukuro to do it?” Gumshoe crossed his arms, and went through his notes. “Look, I know that this Junko girl is the cheery one and all… but if Mukuro is the ultimate soldier and is really attached to Junko, wouldn’t that make Junko able to order her around? As a soldier she’s already primed to follow orders, and she’d be really loyal to her sister.” 

“The bonds of family,” Franziska’s voice was barely a whisper. “It can be bad as well as good. Family can twist your head, make you believe that they’re all you’ve got, that their ideals are the only things worth believing in…” Franziska looked at Edgeworth.

A look between them was all Edgeworth needed. He already knew who she was referring to with that statement. Manfred von Karma, his supposed father figure. He was the reason Edgeworth became the Demon Prosecutor, why even now, he was used to being cold and closed off. He’d assumed that Junko was the one being warped by Mukuro… but if it were the other way around… Edgeworth felt sick. It all seemed to come together. The ultimate soldier… someone used to following orders and who’d be reliant on support from someone to endure the terrors of combat. How many years had Junko been placing hooks into her sister?

“Why?” Kyoko’s voice was small. “Why couldn’t I see this? The Monokuma mask… it should’ve been obvious… she did this. She planted the clues, she has this charm that lets people-even me- let their guard around her, I even tended to overlook some disturbing stuff she’s said in the past because she was always so charming… she could easily slip that card to Celeste… she could have Mukuro steal for her… she has the ability to move people… Mukuro never did. Byakuya never did. I don’t understand why… or even how…” 

“She was your friend,” Edgeworth said softly, “That’s why you couldn’t believe it… and that’s why you doubted Mukuro as well. You told me earlier that you were a detective first and a student second,” Edgeworth’s eyes met Kyoko’s. The pain of the truth reflected across for both of them. “That wasn’t true. You’re both at once. There is no one side that is stronger. You are attached to your classmates, as you should be. You are also a young professional trying to assist in an investigation. You are both at once… and it is tearing at you.”

Kyoko seemed to shrink into herself. Edgeworth thought she’d never looked more her age. It was haunting to see. “The reason I took this case in the first place… was for Makoto. I wanted to see the truth for myself and help him if I could,” Kyoko sighed, her face beginning to harden. “I am both, which is why I have to go now.”

“Where are you going, pal?” Detective Gumshoe asked, placing a hand on Kyoko’s shoulder. “Y-you need some air? I’ll walk with you-” 

“-No. I need to go to the game room. I was invited earlier, but I’d declined at first. I need to be there, now. I need to make sure they’re all going to be okay, and that Junko won’t try anything. I need to protect my friends.” Kyoko’s face was unreadable, and she looked at the three adults. “Thank you for letting me help you, Prosecutor.” Kyoko offered her hand to Edgeworth, who shook it. “I trust you to help find the truth… whatever that is. I believe in you.” Kyoko turned to Gumshoe. “You’ve been a great help and great to talk to, Detective. Thank you.” Kyoko shook hands with Gumshoe, who looked close to tears. Kyoko offered her hand to Franziska, who shook it as well, though the two exchanged no words. Kyoko left the gymnasium with a solemn expression, and Edgeworth knew she’d be going over every detail of the case in her head. 

“I-I’m really gonna miss her, sir,” Gumshoe sniffed. “Is she going to be okay?” 

Edgeworth felt a weight in his chest. “I’m… not sure. At any rate, I trust her to keep the truth to herself. She is half a detective, after all. Though… I admire her dedication to her class. I trust her to protect them, and she made the right call. That is where she needs to be right now.” 

“I wonder if Phoenix Wright has guessed that Junko Enoshima could be behind this,” Franziska said. “The last time we spoke, we were talking of Mukuro Ikusaba’s involvement.” 

“I don’t doubt Wright is on the right track,” Edgeworth said. “If anyone can figure this out.. it’s him. Besides, with the handbook, he could search any room. I just hope he searches hers.” 

“There is a chance this theory is wrong,” Franziska held onto her whip. “If we are wrong… then Mukuro Ikusaba or even Byakuya Togami has duped us yet again.” 

“No, we can’t be, it adds up. Even with her alibi, she could still send Ikusaba to do the dirty work… but still be the one to engineer the crime. She’s enthusiastic… which could be endearing from a faraway glance, but up close.. it reveals a lack of remorse,” Edgeworth said. “And, she’s been fading into the background courtesy of her alibi. Besides… no one would understand the symbolism of having Monokuma in the crime scene like she would. No one else would do that. She’s the only one!” 

Edgeworth closed his eyes, and he could clearly see Junko Enoshima sitting across from him, eyeing the chessboard with a smile. The rest of the students were her pieces, moving around as she pleased. Junko charmed and disarmed them, sending them to be taken and captured in a pit of their own mistrust. Mukuro was her queen piece, powerful, versatile, deadly, but ultimately, still a sacrifice for her victory. 

He, Franziska, and Gumshoe made note of the evidence, and began to discuss how Junko could’ve possibly committed the crime. They began to wonder about the significance of the evidence left behind for them to discover on the first day, the knife and justice card. Before they could get too far into their discussion, the door swung open. Byakuya Togami walked over to them, a DVD in his hands. 

“This is a closed crime scene, young man.” Franziska whipped the ground at Byakuya’s feet. “Haven’t I already lectured you?” 

Byakuya sighed, and pushed up his glasses. “I’m not here to pry, I’m here to give you this DVD. It contains footage from the dormitory hallway on the night of the murder. Mr. Wright and I got copies from the Headmaster.” 

Edgeworth raised an eyebrow. “Why would you of all people agree to help Wright? You seemed so… detached when it came to the outcome of this case. In fact, I recall hearing about how you just wanted it to end.” 

“I already knew walking in that I wouldn’t be well received,” Byakuya said. “I had that same realization when I approached Mr. Wright and those two mediums.” Byakuya noticed the surprised looks on Edgeworth’s face, and smirked. “No need to look so shocked, Prosecutor. Your cohort whipped some sense into me… and the killer has taunted me one to many times. She manipulated me, using my… mentality.” 

His personality is cold and aloof, Edgeworth thought. In fact, it made him almost uncomfortable, seeing how similar Byakuya was to him just a few years ago, a person he’d rather not be reminded of. Edgeworth could see all too clearly how a headstrong and arrogant personality like that could be manipulated by a killer. After all, people like Byakuya, like himself, were the types of people to trample on the feelings and hopes of others to get to the top. The killer wanted division, and they were just the types of people who could sow it. 

“The killer wanted to incense me further,” Byakuya explained. “She left the empty envelopes from the files about Mr. Wright and yourself in my room, as if she’d just slid them under my door. I discovered them just as Mr. Wright was coming down the hall, and I explained everything to him, and decided to help steer him on course by getting him footage from the night of the murder. Based on what he’d found and his reactions, I’ve been able to narrow our search to two suspects.” 

“So,” Franziska crossed her arms. “You seem to think this killer is a female. You referred to them as she. What did Phoenix Wright tell you?” Franziska eyed Byakuya cautiously, clearly trying to size up how much he already knew. 

Edgeworth found it odd that Wright had trusted Byakuya of all people, but he understood Byakuya’s reasoning. In fact, it was one of the most authentic and truthful things Edgeworth heard in the last three days. Someone as proud as Byakuya Togami would not take kindly to being played and blatantly toyed with. Anyone could see that. 

“Yes,” Byakuya said. “I was able to gauge some information from Mr. Wright. I’m sure you have found something out as well, considering your extended time in the gym. When I was walking with Mr. Wright and those mediums to the media room, I saw Kyoko was among the students in the game room. She wouldn’t leave an investigation… unless she wanted to maintain vigilance over the class, as if to protect them from a killer.” Byakuya’s eyes narrowed. “You three must know the true identity of the killer as well, and you told Kyoko.” 

“Why should that concern you, pal?!” Detective Gumshoe said defensively. “We’re a team!” 

“Yes, but Mr. Wright wouldn’t tell me what he knew based on his fear that I, or any other student would give that information away. I had to infer from his reactions to gather suspects. Why would you all place such trust in a student, when someone as hopeful as Phoenix Wright wouldn’t?” Byakuya asked. 

“She’s a detective as well as a student,” Edgeworth responded coolly. “Wright can make his own decisions, and I see his logic. However, Detective Kirigiri helped us reach our conclusion, so she was part of the revelation for us. Besides, I trust her as a professional, and as a friend. I trust that she will keep a level head, yet maintain her care and protection of her classmates. No other student has my trust quite as much as she does. ” 

“I suppose that is logical,” Byakuya admitted. “Now, let us go to the media room. I’ll play the footage for you three, and I will point out what Mr. Wright was muttering about.” 

“We’ll go, only if you tell us who your two suspects are,” Edgeworth said with a frown. “I haven’t forgotten your earlier transgressions, Mr. Togami. Just because you say you’ve had an epiphany, doesn’t mean I have to believe it.” 

“It doesn’t matter what you believe,” Byakuya shot back. “You need this footage. I won’t say what I know unless you share a bit with me as well. I’ll show you the DVD footage regardless, but I want knowledge as well. I told you, my epiphany came with resolve. I will not be made a fool out of. I was more forthcoming with Mr. Wright because… I owed him that much.” 

Edgeworth pursed his lips. Byakuya clearly wanted information, but he was right to place value in the recording. Luckily, he could be negotiated with, Edgeworth reasoned. “We’ll watch the footage before we make a decision to compare notes, agreed?” Edgeworth offered a hand to Byakuya. 

Byakuya shook his hand with a slight nod. “Let’s go to the media room,” he said. “I’m not sure how much longer that game room meeting will go on for.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May 2nd

Media Room

“This place sure has a lot of TVs and stuff,” Gumshoe said. “No wonder Hifumi and Celeste had their watch party in here.” 

“Don’t forget about Junko,” Byakuya gave Gumshoe a sideways look, and he had a knowing glint in his eye. “Wasn’t she here too?” 

“Yeah, that’s totally what I meant, pal!” Gumshoe said, already beginning to swear under Byakuya’s gaze. 

“Quiet, scruffy!” Franziska whipped Gumshoe, causing the man to yelp in pain. Edgeworth and Byakuya winced, though Edgeworth was glad that Gumshoe wouldn’t slip up again. Franziska turned to Byakuya, still holding her whip. “Start the footage, progeny, or you’ll taste the whip as well.” 

“One taste was enough for a lifetime, thanks.” Byakuya rolled his eyes and touched his cheek, and Edgeworth could see that it was a bit bruised. He wondered if the whip or Leon’s fist had hurt more. Byakuya inserted the disk into one of the monitor’s slots and began to play it. 

The footage started out normally enough, with the victim walking to his room with some books. Of course, the foursome of double daters came and left fairly quickly, along with Chihiro seen walking to her room moments later and not emerging. Mukuro was not seen at all. Then, after a lot of fast forwarding, the defendant was seen entering the room, where he didn’t emerge again. Byakuya began to fast forward yet again until the other students trickled in during and after Makoto’s arrest. 

“I see what you’d want to look at,” Franziska said. “You want to see when people arrived on the scene… because the odds are the killer would come later.” 

“Precisely. That is what I ran by Mr. Wright as well,” Byakuya replied. 

Edgeworth’s eyes narrowed as he watched the order of students coming in. The four came in first, with the addition of Kyoko. Chihiro was summoned shortly after, with the Headmaster coming in with Celeste and Hifumi. Byakuya himself came in with Toko hot on his heels, though she quailed in fright once she saw the crime scene and ran away. She must’ve reverted back in that short time span yet again, Edgeworth thought. He couldn’t blame Byakuya for probably getting her to switch back… Jill had a dark aura around her that Edgeworth just didn’t like, even if he didn’t feel threatened by Toko at all. Of course, Junko and Mukuro were the last two to arrive. Junko came in first, and was followed by Mukuro shortly afterwards. Edgeworth froze. Why would Mukuro be wearing the hoodie that she just washed? Wouldn’t people notice it's wet? Why would she take that risk? Was she hiding something…? Had Junko told her to wear it? 

“I see it on your face, Prosecutor.” Byakuya stared at Edgeworth and crossed his arms. “You noticed it too. The two who entered last…” Byakuya looked closely at the paused image with all the students. “Ikusaba’s hoodie… it’s too small. Can’t you see her arms aren’t covered by the sleeves?” 

“Yeah, that’s because Makoto is a pretty short guy, pal.” Gumshoe blurted out. “OW!” Gumshoe lept up as Franziska whipped him again. 

Byakuya frowned. “So it is Makoto’s hoodie then… that means there is no doubt that Ikusaba is involved in this crime. If you take inferences from Celeste’s testimony, then she must’ve been the hooded figure that she thought was Makoto. Though… I wonder about something else. If Junko was with Hifumi the whole time, why didn’t she come in with him, Celeste, and the Headmaster?” 

“That’s a good question,” Edgeworth admitted. Clearly, Byakuya had impressive deductive powers, as he’d narrowed down the suspect pool based on viewing the tape with him and Wright., Of course, he’d watched the trials and seen evidence there as well, but it still was impressive. Edgeworth turned to Byakuya. “Maybe the pictures from Hifumi’s camera hold the answer. He has a lot of them.” Edgeworth turned to his own record, and he had copies of the pictures that Wright had shown in court. Edgeworth turned to the first one, and he froze. 

“H-how?!” Byakuya stammered. “I don’t understand…” 

“Why’d she bother changing accessories, pal?” Detective Gumshoe asked. “Her hair clips are totally different! I actually like the bunny one better.” 

“That isn’t the problem, Detective,” Edgeworth sighed. “This is a blatant contradiction… and it doesn’t make sense. Why would she bother doing this?” Edgeworth thought back to the Monokuma mask. Maybe it was symbolic, somehow? As if Junko was trying to have an emblem of despair be present at the discovery of her friend’s body? Edgeworth brushed a hand through his hair with a sigh. It didn’t make sense. 

“She never has worn any other hair clips,” Byakuya said with a grimace. “Even I know that, and I hardly spend any time with her. She’s annoying. I don’t understand why she wouldn’t just wear them to the card game…” Byakuya took the photos from Edgeworth’s hands before he could protest. “There has to be more here,” Byakuya said. 

“Let us watch the rest of this footage before you boys confuse yourselves over accessories,” Franziska said with disdain. 

She took the remote and pressed play. Edgeworth saw the pain in the Headmaster’s eyes as he tried to address the students, only for the corpse of Yasuhiro Hagakure to be taken out right in front of them. Leon was the first to cry, but it started a rather gut wrenching chain reaction to watch. A majority of the class was in tears, and Edgeworth felt rather powerless watching it play out on screen, knowing there was nothing he could do to ease the pain of that moment. He saw Kiyotaka’s wails, and Edgeworth knew that’s when he’d started to blame himself. Sakura was focusing on a sobbing Aoi, though Edgeworth could see the pain in her eyes; she was trying to be strong for everyone else. Kyoko was looking at her classmates, trying to put her emotions aside and be professional, but Edgeworth could see she was already beginning to fracture. Gentle Chihiro cried softly into Sayaka’s arms, her eyes brimming with tears and regret. Hifumi was visibly upset, though Celeste’s eyes were dry, but even she looked… uncomfortable. Byakuya himself didn’t look happy either, Mukuro was stoic, and Junko--she was shaking and covering her face, yet no tears fell. 

“She’s laughing,” Detective Gumshoe mumbled, pointing at Junko. “She’s laughing. All of these kids are in pain and she’s laughing.” Detective Gumshoe’s voice was heavy with anger. 

“What?!” Byakuya looked taken aback. “I-I knew she wasn’t crying when I’d watched it with Mr. Wright… but… laughing…” Byakuya’s eyes widened, and his steps grew shaky. “N-no! No! I-I… she’s just a ditz… Mukuro is a soldier and Junko is just some fashionista ditz… how… how! How could she manipulate me?!” Byakuya held onto the desk in the media room, trying to keep himself upright. Edgeworth already saw his haughtiness beginning to crumble when he’d first arrived, but now, it was as if he’d been hit with a sledgehammer and his pride was shattered. 

“Get ahold of yourself, Mr. Togami!” Franziska whipped Byakuya’s legs. “Stand upright! You are the heir to the Togami corporation, and you cannot be broken like this!” 

“I’m not broken!” Byakuya snapped. “I-I am… humbled in the worst way imaginable. I know that you didn’t intend for me to find out…” 

“-No,” Edgeworth shook his head. “I doubt you would’ve rested until you learned the truth somehow, Mr. Togami. I’m aware of how people with our mindsets work.” 

“Yes, with your chess games and such,” Franziska sighed. 

“I like to think of chess games sometimes myself,” Byakuya muttered. “I imagined I was playing against a faceless mastermind… and I never realized I was losing.” 

Edgeworth shook his head. “You can’t admit defeat yet, Mr. Togami. The match hasn’t been decided. Also, you were smart enough to narrow down our suspects, and you helped us with insight and this footage… so I suppose we did each other favors despite our handshake.” Edgeworth offered an arm to Byakuya so he could steady himself, and the heir took it, and stood shakily. Edgeworth looked at Byakuya, this time, with understanding instead of distrust and discomfort. “Byakuya Togami,” he said, “I’ve been in your shoes before. You’ve seen a truth you never thought possible, that you can be bested and manipulated. That people you underestimated and dismissed are in fact surpassing you. That is not a time for you to wallow… or to disappear like I did-” 

“-I read up on you years before this,” Byakuya sighed. “I am aware of your journey, Prosecutor.” 

“That isn’t the point,” Edgeworth offered Byakuya his hand. “This is a time for you to reevaluate your mentality, but you must not shy away from your responsibility to make amends with your class and do what’s right. You must know that if there is hope for me… surely you aren’t a lost cause either. If you fall now… that is what Junko would want. Your change will be your first step of making sure you can’t be used again… and that you can help others avoid the same fate.” 

Byakuya shook Edgeworth’s hand. “I understand, Prosecutor… and I agree. I have a lot to think about. I won’t let Junko ensnare me in her mind games. I promise, the truth won’t leave this room. I will maintain control over myself.” Byakuya let go of Edgeworth’s hand. “I will help Kyoko make sure Junko and Mukuro aren’t planning anything else. If you need any resources from the Togami corporation, they’re at your disposal. I’d recommend going to the Headmaster's Office, he has student files. There has to be something there… though I can’t say for certain. I’m going to the game room now… it’s about time I joined the others.” With a final nod, Byakuya left the gymnasium. 

“I suppose we have the truth,” Franziska said once the doors closed. “Though… there is clearly more we have yet to discover. I say we go to that Headmaster’s Office.” 

“I agree,” Edgeworth said. “We should hurry, as our window of time is closing fast. I say we grab the files on the victim and the twins and leave. We’re on the right track. We have the pieces, and once we combine our evidence with Wright’s tomorrow, the truth should become clear.” 

“Yeah!” Gumshoe said. “We owe it to these kids to expose the truth… they deserve a happy ending.”

“Then we’ll just have to make that happen then, won’t we scruffy?” Franziska said with a small smile. “For all of them.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May 2nd

Headmaster’s Office

Edgeworth saw the chessboard clearly now. Junko Enoshima sat opposite from him with a manic grin, moving about her pieces, not caring about their fates. She’d wince for a moment when Edgeworth would capture one of her pawns, only to laugh and play a more powerful piece that sent him reeling. The match was at a stalemate so far, Edgeworth was trapped. He had evidence, yet there was so much that was unclear. Just how much did Mukuro do, since Junko was photographed… albeit with different accessories. What was her motive? Why the defendant? Why the victim? 

The three walked into the Headmaster’s Office. It was deathly silent. There were papers strewn about, and Edgeworth was overwhelmed with a metallic and coppery scent. He felt sick with recognition the more he breathed in the familiar scent of blood. Edgeworth saw the Headmaster slumped over his desk with a teacup that had fallen from his hands, and tea was spilled over the papers underneath him. 

“Headmaster?” Edgeworth’s voice was laced with trepidation. He moved towards Headmaster Kirigiri. Edgeworth touched his shoulder… and he felt cold as ice. Edgeworth tentatively lifted the Headmaster and heard a wheezy and pained gasp, and there was blood coming from his nose and mouth. Was he… Edgeworth’s limbs turned to lead. 

“Miles?” Franziska held her whip shakily. “What’s… what is going on? He can’t be...” 

“N-no way ... .NO!” Detective Gumshoe gasped. 

Edgeworth turned to Franziska in a daze. “Franziska, gather the students, now! Make sure they’re okay! Send Kyoko and Byakuya here to me now, and get them to dial a hospital!” Franziska ran out without a second thought. Edgeworth could feel the room spinning. This couldn’t be happening. 

“Detective, go get the police roaming the school now!” Edgeworth pointed to the door, and Gumshoe raced out, a map with police markers in hand. “Lock this place down! No one leaves or enters!” 

Edgeworth stood by the Headmaster, and he was at a loss. He felt Headmaster Kirigiri fighting for every ragged breath from his body, and Edgeworth pleaded for the man to hold on as he propped him up. “Dammit! You have students counting on you! You have a daughter who needs you to fight!” Edgeworth could feel Headmaster Kirigiri fighting for each ragged breath that escaped his lips. 

Headmaster Kirigir’s blood began to drip onto Edgeworth’s suit, and the smell of blood filled his sinuses, but his head was spinning too much for him to care. He was bombarded with images from the past, his own father dead in an elevator, not breathing… that scream. Kyoko couldn’t share his pain… not that way. Edgeworth could feel that same despair and loss he’d felt that horrible day beginning to come back to him, and the idea that Kyoko would go through the same thing made him feel sick to his stomach. How could he have let this happen? They’d been so focused on defending the students that the Headmaster’s safety hadn’t crossed his mind. He’d thought Junko’s goal would be to focus on the students… hadn’t that been her plan the whole time? Hadn’t they been her targets, and wasn’t the headmaster broken already? Why would she bother with him?

He felt himself stumble as he was hit with a staggering realization. None of those questions mattered now. What mattered was that he’d been duped from the start, and he’d misread Junko, costing him dearly. While Edgeworth had been busy trying to merely figure out who his opponent was and filtering through a list of suspects that was no doubt a smokescreen for the real mastermind, Junko was already making moves against him, playing on his perceptions so that she’d be free to target those he wouldn’t think to protect. Edgeworth thought he’d finally started to figure out the board, but Junko changed the game on him yet again; outwitting him at every turn. Edgeworth had envisioned the chess game to consist of two equals fighting for control, but Edgeworth knew better now. He’d never been the one in control… he’d been playing Junko’s game from the very beginning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (So... yeah. I hope you guys had fun, and I kind of imagined that last chapter playing out like a body discovery... though we don't know for sure. I bet you all have questions, and the next chapter will... answer none of them, as it's an intermission from the one student who was never at Hope's Peak. HEhehehe. I loved writing the prosecution gang investigating, so that was a ball, and I do really like writing Edgeworth interacting with the students, since he really isn't great at that stuff, but I feel like there are students he would get along with suprisingly well, like Kyoko, Chihiro, Taka, and Sakura. I do feel like post redemption Byakuya and him would also get on fairly well, and I see Edgeworth's value of truth and justice clashing with Celeste's loose morals, and I do feel like Edgeworth is the type of stuffy authority figure that Mondo wouldn't like. I also don't know why I went so crazy with the chess metaphor, I just loved it so much. As for a question you might have, Edgeworth does switch off in his thoughts between calling Kyoko, well, Kyoko, and Detective Kirigiri. He calls her Detective Kirigiri when he's in professional mode, and he calls her Kyoko when he can see a more vulnerable side, and/or he's worried about her, despite professionalism. I thought you guys would pick up on it anyway, but I just wanted to clear it up in case it was confusing. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the longest intermission yet!)
> 
> Edgeworth's Mini-Court Record
> 
> Water Bottles  
> [Four water bottles found at opposite corners of the gymnasium. Definitely placed on purpose, despite the iconvenience.]
> 
> List of Potential Weapons  
> [Hope's Peak Academy appliances that can be used to kill. There is a concerning amount of items here.]


	11. A Prisoner's Elegy (Makoto)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto sits in the Detention Center and muses about his situation while recieving visitors and discovering the truth from behind bars. What is he thinking, and how will he handle the revelations that come his way?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I'm really sorry I'm a day late with this! Some personal stuff came up and my motivation ebbed for a bit, but I'm back now! We're so close, and I want to finish strong! This will be the last intermission, and I wanted to make it a Makoto chapter, because I feel like he should have a say in this story, considering he's the defendant. Some of the parts with Phoenix are a bit rehashed, but I did think it was interesting to look at the scenes from Makoto's perspective as he falls apart. Of course, this chapter only talks about the visits he got on Day 3, but note that he's been visited by more classmates than just the ones featured here. Also, the chapter title refers to the song that plays in the background while the AA defendants are in the detention center and talking to Phoenix about their backstories. I thought that the song Desire for Death from the THH soundtrack would be a cool yet sad one for Makoto, as these elegies tend to be melancholy. I also made the dividers between chapters different for every narrator, which was something I did for fun, and I picked Makoto's little slash dividers because they look like mini ahoges, lol. 
> 
> I was curious in general: I thought of the intermission chapters as nice breathers and a way to get a glimpse into another character's thoughts besides Phoenix, but I was wondering what you guys think. Did you like them or did you think they were a waste of time? Also, I was also wondering which intermission was everyone's favorite, just out of pure curiosity.

Detention Center, Visitor’s Room

Komaru’s Visit

“Naegi,” the guard said. “You can stay in the visitor’s room until hours are up. Luckily for you, the police don’t have any questions for you… for now.” The guard took his place by the door. “Just hang in there, kid,” he sighed. “You’re almost out of here.” 

“Thanks,” Makoto said, briefly looking towards the guard. It was almost weird to think he’d gained his sympathy. That was the first time the guy had even talked to Makoto in the three days he’d been here. 

Makoto sighed, staring down the empty chair across from him. He’d had most of his classmates come to visit him over the duration of the trial, and it was really nice, but none of them were the visitor he needed to see right now. She’d be here soon. Take a deep breath, in and out. Makoto felt his chest rise and fall with each breath. His heartbeat finally relaxed. He looked up at the familiar greys of the Detention Center, and felt a creeping sense of despair, but he bit it back. He couldn’t let this place get to him, not when he was so close to leaving. 

He’d spent the last two nights here haunted by the night in question, replaying that moment where he’d found Hiro dying over and over again. He’d felt him die in his arms, his expression was pained and terrified, and then he’d found evidence pointing to her. It wasn’t right. He knew it wasn’t right, she wouldn’t-Mukuro wouldn’t do this. She has no reason, she’d been getting so much better with getting close to her classmates, and Makoto just had a burning feeling in his gut that it wasn’t her. He’d hidden the evidence pointing to her on a whim… and he knew once he did, there was no going back. The trials actually helped him solidify his belief, the crime just seemed more elaborate and unlike Mukuro the more the trial progressed. Still, the trial proved to be a different beast entirely, there were so many times he’d known just what to say, only for him to have to hold back and place faith in Mr. Wright. Not that he didn’t have faith in him… it was just hard not knowing what the other man was thinking, or what he would say. The trial today once again filled him with stress, and the accusatory stares of Mr. Wright, Ms. Mia, and Maya at the end of the trial hadn’t helped. They know he’s hiding something, Makoto thought. They couldn’t understand. He knew if he told them the truth, they’d be after the wrong person, then all that progress they’d made with the case over the last two days would be for nothing. He was so close to getting out, and protecting her too. Everything would be okay, if he just held out for hope. Everything would be okay-

“-Makoto!” Komaru came through the door like a whirlwind, and sat down across from him. “Sorry, I really tried to hurry,” she said. “Though, you’re normally the slowpoke out of the two of us.” 

“It’s fine,” Makoto said, choosing to ignore Komaru’s playful little jab. “I just need you to do me a favor.” 

“Aw jeez, you’re really just jumping right into it, huh?” Komaru crossed her arms. “I knew you wanted me to come here right away, but I thought you’d just want to talk! Don’t you want to know about Mom and Dad? Or would you at least want to know about the latest chapter in that manga we were reading? I read ahead a bit… sorry.” 

Makoto sighed. Komaru could be such a kid sometimes, and he’d honestly been shocked she’d handled this trial stuff so well at first. Though, to be fair, it wasn’t like he could see into her thoughts, so he couldn’t really know. Plus, it definitely helped that she’d latched onto Prosecutor von Karma rather quickly, so at least she’d feel a bit emboldened by having a whip-wielding woman in her corner… even if she was technically against him. He doubted Komaru saw it that way, though. Knowing her, she probably viewed Prosecutor von Karma as someone cool and admirable, and didn’t even consider sides. He wondered if Komaru would even equate it to all of that manga she loved so much… but her lack of reality didn’t matter. She was his family, so he knew he could trust her no matter what. She wouldn’t ask questions; she wouldn’t deviate from the plan… unlike the others. He had to rely on her. 

“Komaru, listen to me,” Makoto sighed. “I need you to focus, okay? I’ll ask about Mom and Dad and that manga another time-” 

“-So you really don’t care, huh?” Komaru frowned. “Mom and Dad are worried sick about you, and Mom even stopped watching her variety shows just to keep the news on all the time! It’s all coverage about you… and even though it makes them worry and cry, they keep on watching! How could you not even be worried?!” Komaru’s eyes pricked up with tears. “W-we’re all so worried… and you can’t even-”

“-Of course I care!” Makoto shouted. “I-I really miss them, and I’d love to see them after this is all over, and I’ve been alone in my own thoughts for hours in here, and I’ve thought about you guys all the time!” Makoto’s voice cracked, and he felt a weight crush his chest as he looked at his sister. “I-I just really need this favor… so this will all be over, and we can go back to normal. I trust you… because you’re my sister and I know you care about me…” Makoto paused, the guilt he felt continuing to grow. “I trust you to do this for me, so that everything can go back to normal. You’d do that, right?” 

Makoto looked at Komaru, who wiped away the tears from her eyes. She nodded with a small smile, and Makoto felt rotten. He used her desire for this all to go away, he used their relationship, he used her worry and naivety to get her to obey him with no question. He’d known that no one else would’ve fallen for that, everyone else would've asked questions, but Komaru wouldn’t. She cared too much, and he’d exploited that. This was for her, Makoto thought. You can apologize later. You’ll have to apologize a lot, but it’ll be okay. Everyone will be okay, and it will all work out. 

“Thanks, Komaru. I knew I could count on you.” Just saying those words made him queasy. He forced down the bile in his throat and continued. “I need you to go to Hope’s Peak for me and talk to Chihiro. She’s the short one with the brown skirt and green sweater. She’s always carrying around a computer.” 

“Yeah, you’ve had her over before!” Komaru said. “I remember thinking she was just so adorable!” 

“She is… I guess,” Makoto shrugged. “Anyway, she has my handbook, because she was the first to visit me, so I asked her to take it from my cleared belongings and hold onto it for me. Just ask for it, and use it to get into my room and get a photo album for me. It should be in my first drawer. Once you do, leave and bring it to me. That’s it!” 

Komaru crossed her arms. “How am I even going to get into Hope’s Peak? Isn’t it closed off? That’s what the news says!” 

“You have paper, right?” Makoto turned to the guard in the back. He wordlessly walked up to Makoto and handed him a piece of paper and a pen. Makoto began to write. “Here,” he said, handing the paper to Komaru through the slit in the divider. He slid her the pen as well. “This is permission from me, the defendant, to allow you onto campus on my behalf. Just show this to the headmaster. Plus, I even wrote a note to Chihiro below it telling her to give you the handbook.” 

“Wow, you really thought of everything!” Komaru said, taking the note. “You really have faith in me to do this? What if I mess something up or-” 

“-I have faith in you, Komaru!” Makoto managed a smile. “I know you can do this. I wouldn’t have asked you if you couldn’t. You can do it!” 

“Yeah, yeah!” Komaru’s eyes flared with determination. “I-I can do this! If you can sit here in this cell and not go crazy, I can do this! I-I’m not like you… but I can do this at least! I’ll help you no matter what, Makoto! Then, you can finally come home with us.” Komaru managed a watery smile, and Makoto could see this was hard on her. He felt that guilty feeling bubbling up again, but he pushed it down. This was all for justice, so the right verdict could be served and she’d be okay… but Komaru was hurting… no. Telling Mr. Wright wouldn’t change that and it would veer everything off course--Makoto froze, seeing the man himself flanked by Maya and Pearl enter the room. 

Komaru turned and saw the three. She stood up. “I’ll leave you guys alone.” She turned to Makoto one last time, and managed a smile. “I won’t let you down, Makoto!” she said, as she left the Detention Center. 

I know you won’t, Makoto thought. You can do this. 

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Detention Center, Visitor’s Room 

Mr. Wright, Maya, and Pearl’s Visit

Makoto could already feel his palms growing sweaty as Mr. Wright, Maya, and Pearl sat down across from him. At least Mia wasn’t here anymore, he thought. She seemed like she would be hard to lie to. Not like Mr. Wright was making it easy anyway. Mr. Wright’s eyes bore right into him, and Makoto could see the doubt and distrust swirling around in them. He couldn’t back down, not when they were so close anyway, so he forced himself to level with Mr. Wright’s gaze. He briefly looked at Maya as well, and she almost looked disappointed, which made Makoto feel worse. Maya was firmly on his side before… so she must be really suspicious now. Pearl still looked a bit lost, probably because she’d missed the whole day so far, but Makoto was glad for that. At least she wasn’t looking at him like he was wearing someone else’s skin. He’d really grown to know and get attached to Mr. Wright over these past few days. He saw so much of himself and his optimistic spirit in the man, and he’d been friends with Maya already, and they now looked at him with suspicion and apprehension. He’d have to apologize when this was over. It would be worth it, though, Makoto told himself. Even if Mr. Wright won’t be able to stomach being near me again, at least she’ll be safe. She’s my friend, I know I’m doing the right thing. Makoto repeated the mantra in his mind to steel himself. She’s my friend and this is right-

“-What was all that about?” Maya said, gesturing to the door where Komaru had just left. 

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Makoto said, making sure to sound as nonchalant as possible. “I really wanted to talk about the trial anyway.” Makoto met Mr. Wright’s gaze with hopeful eyes. “I mean, Mr. Wright, you and Miss Mia-” 

“-No.” Mr. Wright’s eyes hardened and his voice was ice. Makoto could feel his heartbeat stop. “I’m done sharing information with you,” he said, “At least until you start sharing with us.” 

“I really don’t want to hinder your investigation,” Makoto could feel the desperation in his voice. “I want to help.” If he could just know what Mr. Wright was thinking or the evidence he had already, maybe he could help to piece together the real killer and Mukuro wouldn’t even get brought up-

“-Then tell me who you’re protecting.” Mr. Wright glared at Makoto. “I know that’s the reason you’re holding back. You’re so close with your classmates and you know something damning about one of them.”

Makoto froze. He’d figured that much out already, he thought. The fact that he could probably see his lie floating in that psyche-lock thing didn’t make Makoto feel any better. He could practically feel the lock himself, as he struggled to find the right words. He couldn’t show it, though. Mr. Wright needed evidence, and Makoto could see it in his posture, that he wasn’t certain of his claim. I can use that to defend myself, Makoto thought.

“Mr. Wright,” Makoto locked eyes with Mr. Wright, and he could feel their wills clashing. “As far as I’m concerned, all my classmates have alibis, right?” Including Mukuro. “Why would I need to protect them? Haven’t they been cooperating and talking with you anyway?” 

Based on his visitors talking to him, Makoto hadn’t gotten the impression that anyone hadn’t gone out of their way to not provide an alibi to Mr. Wright. He could see Mr. Wright’s growing trepidation at his remark as he pursed his lips and his eyebrows furrowed, and Makoto’s confidence grew. He was right. Mr. Wright tried to show the tarot cards, but Makoto shot him down. He almost felt like a lawyer there, for just a moment. He could see that he had Mr. Wright beat, at least for now. If Makoto knew anything from these last few days, it was that Mr. Wright was not one to give up. 

“I promised Hiroko I’d find the truth. I’m not about to let her down,” Mr. Wright said. At the mention of Hiroko Hagakure, Makoto’s eyes fell to the floor. Her grief… it hurt him to see. She made him think of Hiro, and how he... Makoto forced himself to focus on Mr. Wright, who was crossing his arms. He continued to speak. “Even if you won’t help me, I’ll find the truth. You have to know one of them did it!” 

Makoto did know that… but he didn’t want to believe it. They were his friends and he had so much hope-but Hiro was his friend too, and he couldn’t ignore that he’d been murdered. Unjustly and unfairly, and he was taken away from his true friends and his own mother, and Makoto wanted the truth. He hesitantly locked eyes with Mr. Wright again, and he regretted it. Makoto could see the emotion in Mr. Wright’s eyes as he swore on Hiroko Hagakure. His posture was rigid with determination, and he looked at Makoto with… disappointment. 

Makoto felt his guilt beginning to tear at him again. “I-I’m not covering for a murderer, I swear!” He felt his shoulders slump as the three looked at him with disbelief. “I-I just know that-” he stopped. “I-I can’t tell you what I know. It’ll throw everything off.” 

Mr.. Wright’s posture relaxed, and his gaze grew softer. Makoto could see a mixture of emotions brewing in him. He could see him taking his hand out of his pocket, and Makoto nearly sighed in relief. He didn’t have the evidence yet, Makoto reasoned. 

“Fine,” Mr. Wright sighed. “Since you won’t say, at least grant me this; help me get on the right path. What did you tell Komaru?” 

Makoto weighed his options, and he decided he couldn’t say nothing. Maybe, if he told a vague version of the truth, it would help him gain a bit of trust. He ended up telling them that he’d just given Komaru permission to enter the school. Mr. Wright didn’t look remotely convinced. Maya didn’t either, and even Pearl was giving him a strange look. 

“Wait, what?” Mr. Wright crossed his arms. “We’re already investigating. What would you want her to see and not us?” 

“No! No!” Makoto blurted out. “I just wanted her to be able to get into the school, and see and talk to some people. In fact, maybe you guys can compare evidence if you won’t share it with me.” Makoto said, the words desperately tumbling from his mouth. Any confidence he’d had earlier vanished. “I gave Komaru a note to show to the Headmaster, and to Chihiro.” 

“Chihiro? Why?” Pearl cocked her head and crossed her arms. 

“Chihiro has my handbook,” Makoto explained. “On the first day, she was the first to visit me, so I told her to get my handbook from the belongings the police had confiscated from me, and hold onto it. The note is going to have her give it to Komaru, so she can go into my room.” 

“Why didn’t you want us to have this?” Mr. Wright pressed, looking at Makoto like he was on the stand. “Surely, we could’ve used this on day one!” 

“I-I just-” Makoto started. 

“-It probably has something to do with that student, Nick.” Maya shook her head at Makoto, her eyes looked sad and disappointed. She turned to Mr. Wright. “We’ve got to get to that evidence before Komaru can do whatever Makoto told her to do!” 

“No wait-” Makoto stood up in his chair, knocking it over. He couldn’t let them leave like this. “It’s really not-” 

“We’ve got to go,” Mr. Wright stood up, with Maya and Pearl following suit. Maya ushered Pearl out, both Feys not even looking back at him. Mr. Wright lingered a moment longer. “We’ll be back,” he said. “We’re going to get the answers, Makoto. Whether you want us to or not… it’s for your own good. I promise.” 

Makoto could’ve sworn Mr. Wright almost looked sad as he said those words, his eyes sparking with knowledge, as if he knew how Makoto felt. He couldn’t know, Makoto thought. How could he know? He wouldn’t understand, he wouldn’t understand--still. He tried to catch Mr. Wright’s eye as some sort of confirmation he hadn’t imagined that look of sympathy, but the other man had turned his back on him and was out the door.

“I know,” Makoto said sadly as Mr. Wright left, though he figured it was too late. “I really want to catch the killer too.” 

He really did want to… but he wanted to protect his friend too. Even if it came at the cost of Mr. Wright, Maya, and Pearl’s trust. Even if he had to lie to Komaru too. He was lying, and it felt awful. It’s for my friend, he thought. He thought of her improvement over the years, the few times she’d smiled and opened up, and he was reassured. It was all so real, she was his friend, and she wouldn’t hurt him. He felt her note in his pants waistband, and he sighed. This was the right thing to do. Mukuro… I have hope in you, he thought as he briefly touched the note. Please, please, don’t prove me wrong. 

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Detention Center, Visitor’s Room

Sayaka’s Visit

Makoto tried to ignore the swirling feelings of guilt and dread clouding his heart. He’d already lied to so many people, and if they found the truth… they wouldn’t understand. It would ruin everything if they found out, her life would be over and she didn’t deserve that, so Makoto just had to have hope. He had to have hope that Komaru would come through for him, but it was still painful to be so powerless. That was the right word for sure. He’d been cooped up in this Detention Center while his classmates were hurting, he wasn’t able to help investigate, and he wasn’t even able to save Hiro. He’d been the only one who could’ve, but he’d failed that too. He’d been powerless as Hiro bled out in his arms. He’d been powerless, helpless, useless--Makoto took a deep breath. His classmates would be coming to visit, and he needed to be strong for them, so they’d at least have hope. As if she’d heard his thoughts, Sayaka came through the door and took a seat right across from him. 

“Hi, Makoto!” Sayaka gave him a kind smile. “I know this sounds kinda stupid, but how are you? Are you okay? This place-” Sayaka gestured to the greys of the walls surrounding them, “-it’s kinda depressing, don’t you think?” 

“Yeah, it’s a bit drab but it’s fine,” Makoto said, giving her his best smile back. “I’m glad you came to see me, Sayaka! I’m doing fine, and I’m even better now that you’re here. Are you alright?” 

Sayaka clutched onto the sleeve of her uniform. “Actually, I am a bit worried,” she admitted. Her smile faded, and Makoto frowned. Normally, Sayaka was the type to put on a happy face, even if she didn’t feel that way. It must be pretty bad for her to not even bother with trying to seem okay, Makoto reasoned. Sayaka sighed. “Ever since the trial wrapped up, everything is really tense back at school, and that’s one of the reasons I came here. I couldn’t stand to be around everyone while they all sized each other up and stuff.” 

“Don’t tell me… they all suspect each other?” Makoto asked, crossing his arms. “I know that’s wrong,” he said. “I just know that if everyone believes in each other-” 

“-You don’t have to do that, Makoto.” Sayaka looked at him with sad eyes. “We all know it has to be one of us. I know you’re just trying to make me feel better when you say that stuff about believing in everyone, and I really do appreciate your kindness and optimism… but it’s a lie. A lie you don’t have to tell anymore. At least not for our sakes.” Sayaka looked at Makoto and it felt as if she were peering into his soul. “Makoto… you tell yourself that too, huh? The reason you’re clinging so hard to your beliefs… you don’t want to believe it either, but you know the truth. You’ve always been somewhat of a detective yourself, which I guess explains why you like Kyoko so much.” Sayaka giggled, her cheeks lighting up in a pink blush. 

“Sayaka!” Makoto began to blush as well. 

“I’m right though, aren’t I?” Sayaka said. “Makoto, you’re the one on trial here. You don’t have to try and hold all of us together. You just have to focus on yourself and getting out of here in one piece.” Sayaka pressed her hand up to the divider. “I miss my best friend, Makoto. I never stopped believing in you.” 

“Why?” Makoto asked. “Why would you just believe me with zero hesitation… when everyone else was convinced it was me? At the beginning, it looked really bad, you have to admit.” Sayaka placed a hand over her mouth and giggled, causing Makoto to raise an eyebrow. “What’s so funny?” he asked. 

“Sorry,” she said, giving him a smile. “It’s just a rather simple answer. We’re friends! I’ve wanted to be your friend since middle school and you helped that crane. My psychic senses told me that you were a kind soul filled with hope-” Sayaka giggled. “-Sorry, I was going to go off on a tangent there… but I figured you wouldn’t want to hear it. The point is, I didn’t need some concrete reason to believe in you. You’re my best friend and you’ve been there for me through thick and thin, and that’s reason enough!” 

“Thank you,” Makoto felt himself relax, and a natural smile spread across his face. Sayaka smiled her familiar, yet still soothing smile right back. Makoto cleared his throat. “You really still think about that weird story about me and the crane, huh?” 

“All the time,” Sayaka said. “In fact, when I was put in charge of watching Pearl yesterday, I told her all about it. I actually told her a lot of stories about you and I. I told her so much about everyone, and even about myself…” Sayaka trailed off, and Makoto could see the look of fond reminiscence on her face. 

“You watched over Pearl?” Makoto raised an eyebrow. “I did see that she was rather attached to you.”

“Oh, Pearl is just too cute,” Sayaka said with a smile. “She’s so attentive and precocious. She loved my stories and my songs… though I did leave out some of the less glamorous things about my idol life. I just want to make sure a girl that little isn’t overwhelmed by all this. I have the feeling… she’s seen enough pain already in her life. I wasn’t about to add to it with my own sad stories. I made sure she was happy.” Sayaka sighed. “She just reminds me of those young girls I became an idol for, so that they’d have someone to look to and not be lonely. I was lonely as a kid… and Pearl told me about her times in Kurain Village, and it sounded… lonely. That’s also why I want to look out for her. It’s my duty as an idol, and I think of her as a friend as well!” 

“Sometimes I do wonder if she fully understands the stuff around her,” Makoto admitted. 

Sayaka grinned. “Don’t be fooled by her childish exterior, Makoto! Her spiritual power is greater than even my psychic vision! She even offered to make me a medium… but I doubt I have time in my schedule.” 

Makoto laughed. “Seems like you have a favorite member of Wright and Co.” 

“Don’t tell Maya,” Sayaka giggled. “We did work together, too.” 

“Does that mean that the whole thing with you, Kyoko, and Leon sticking with Mr. Wright held over onto the next investigation as well?” 

Sayaka nodded. “Well,” she said, putting her finger to her chin, “Kyoko actually is with the prosecution. Though, she still helped us out whenever we came by. She’s really trying hard, it’s so cool! You know, if I hadn’t been friends with you, I doubt I’d have ever been friends with Kyoko.”

“What do you mean by that?” Makoto asked, crossing his arms. “You and Kyoko get along well!”

Sayaka shook her head. “It’s not that I wouldn’t like her or anything! It’s just that before you really got through to her, Kyoko was pretty closed off, and hardly talked to any of us. You really brought her out of her shell, that’s all! You’re the one who got her to make friends, and you’ve done that with others too. You make Byakuya tolerable to be around, and Mukuro has grown so much too!” 

“Mukuro?” Makoto’s voice grew softer, and he’d said her name without even realizing it. He bit his lip, and Sayaka gave him a strange look. 

“Yeah, Mukuro used to only hang around Junko and such, and she was always so quiet. She never did anything without Junko until you started to hang out with her. Truth be told, I think the rest of us were scared,” Sayaka brushed her hair out of her face with a sigh. “Her talent scared us… which was stupid. You’re the only one who looked past that, and anyone could see just how much that meant to her. I know her better now too, and I’ll admit I really like her! She can be spunky and sweet… but she’s still guarded.” Sayaka’s eyes bore into Makoto’s. “Is something wrong with her? You kinda got this weird look on your face.” 

“N-no!” Makoto said. “I-I just hope she’s okay. She, uh, doesn’t have a lot of people to rely on besides me… and Junko. I know her and Hiro weren’t particularly close or anything, but they were on good terms so I just wonder if she’s mourning him-” 

“-I think she’d be a lot more likely to be mourning you, Makoto. She’s probably really worried,” Sayaka said. “If she’s your friend, then she’ll be doing whatever she can to make sure you go free. If you’re important to her, she’ll do whatever she can to support you right now.” Sayaka sighed, and Makoto could see flashes of doubt in her eyes. 

Makot wanted to say something to try and make her doubt go away somehow, but he couldn’t find the words that wouldn’t make Sayaka suspect him more. After all, she’d been with Mr. Wright and the rest of them. She’d tell them anything suspicious he said, and her freakishly good intuition worried him. Sayaka gave him a mysterious, yet kindly smile, and Makoto chose not to push his luck. It seemed like Sayaka was going to drop the subject. 

Sayaka looked briefly at the clock on the detention center wall, and turned to Makoto. Her expression was hard and determined, a rather jarring departure from her usual soft gazes and perfect idol smiles. 

“Makoto, my time is almost up, but I want you to do something for me,” Sayaka said. 

“What is it?” Makoto asked. 

“I want you to promise me something.” Sayaka’s deep blue eyes locked with his. “I want you to promise me you’ll put yourself first and get out of here. I know you want to keep everyone unified… but there’s a cost to that, and I don’t want it to be you!” 

Makoto wasn’t able to look away. “Sayaka…” 

“Promise! Please! Do this for me,” Sayaka pleaded. “As a friend, please promise me that much. When the time comes… do what’s right for you, Makoto.” 

“I promise,” Makoto said, hating it as those words left his lips. 

“Thank you,” Sayaka smiled and got up. “I’ve got to go back now, but just remember your promise, okay?” Sayaka waved goodbye and left, her footsteps echoing softly on the tile floors.

Promises were linked with trust, and Sayaka trusted him. That was just another branch on this large tree of lies he’d continued to watch grow. Komaru, Mr. Wright, and now Sayaka. Hopefully, Sayaka would never have to know about his one lie… and that would mean the promise wouldn’t be broken. He’d look out for himself by helping Mukuro. That’s right. This was the right thing to do… it had to be. He was already in too deep for her. There was no going back now… even for a promise between friends. 

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Detention Center, Visitor’s Room

Chihiro’s Visit

“Hi, I’m sorry if you were kept waiting,” Chihiro said, smoothing out his skirt as he sat across from him. 

“It’s not like I have anywhere else to go,” Makoto said with a small chuckle. “How are you, Chihiro? Did my sister get the handbook?” 

“Yeah, she did,” Chihiro said. “That uh, scary yet pretty prosecutor lady was with her.” Chihiro crossed her arms. “As for how I’m feeling, uh… not great, really,” he said, hanging his head. “This whole thing is just terrible. I mean, I don’t want to believe it, but one of us really killed Hiro! A-and you got accused and we all just believed it-” 

“-You really don’t have to do that,” Makoto said, trying to stop the smaller boy from crying. “I really don’t hold it against any of you! What else could you have believed?” 

“We could’ve at least not jumped to blame you,” Chihiro sighed. “I mean, some people probably doubt me, and it feels terrible to know that! I mean… I just care about everyone and to see them all doubting that really hurts.” Chihiro’s knuckles turned pale as he maintained a firm grip on his laptop, trying to steel himself. He looked down at the computer. “I even told Alter Ego about the whole thing, and he came up with a probability chart of who would kill Hiro based on his knowledge of everyone, and you were the lowest!” 

“Wait, really?” Makoto raised an eyebrow. “W-who did he say would?” 

Chihiro flipped open his laptop to reveal Alter Ego. He began to type rapidly, and Makoto almost felt nauseous watching him type that fast. 

“Ah! Good afternoon, Makoto!” Alter Ego grinned. “I am glad to hear that you’re doing alright! You are my friend, so I am happy you are nearly innocent!” Alter Ego’s face grew pensive. “Master asked me to run my probability diagram again… however,” Alter Ego’s face fell. “I don’t like it. I do not want to believe any of Master’s friends… or my friends are a killer!” 

“I didn’t want to believe it either,” Chihiro sighed. 

“You two have the same conscience,” Makoto sighed. “Anyway… uh, tell Alter Ego I’m glad he cares, I guess. Also, just tell him to tell me the truth. I need to hear it.” 

Chihiro typed into Alter Ego, whose facial expression remained sad. “Alright,” the program sighed. “I will retrieve the list, but please, don’t assume it is the truth!” Alter Ego’s face vanished to reveal a loading bar, only for him to reappear moments later. “Based on the knowledge I have from Master and basic files of the ultimates… I would say that Mukuro Ikusaba and Toko Fukawa have the highest probability! Due to their ultimate talents and personalities, this is the conclusion I have come to!” Alter Ego frowned. “Am I correct?” 

“No!” Makoto blurted out, and even Chihiro looked slightly shocked. Makoto shook his head. “Toko has already been confirmed to be framed, so this logic you’re basing this diagram on has to be faulty! This has already been proven wrong, and this could lead to more division, if people base suspicions off this faulty program!” 

Chihiro sniffled. “Sorry,” he sighed. “I-I just thought if I showed you this then you’d think of something… but all I did was upset you. I-I wanted to help… but all I did was hurt you. I really don’t want anyone else to get accused.” Chihiro blinked back tears and closed the laptop. 

“Chihiro,” Makoto sighed. He hadn’t meant to argue so forcefully, and Chihiro had been trying to help. “I won’t deny that I doubt having a computer algorithm to determine this isn’t a bit faulty, but you were trying to help. I’m sorry I snapped at you. You’ve already done so much for me already with holding onto my handbook and using Alter Ego to help the investigation. You really are giving it your all… and that’s what everyone needs! We need to band together and have hope in each other!” Makoto locked eyes with Chihiro. “If everyone else can just stick together, we can uncover the true killer, and then we can all be friends again. Okay?” 

“O-okay,” Chihiro said. He stood up in a flash, and he actually managed a smile. “Okay! I’ll do my best to have faith in everyone!” His determined posture slumped slightly. “However… I’m not sure who will listen to me. I-I’m not very strong and my alibi is suspicious-” 

“-They’ll listen because they’re your friends,” Makoto said. “They’ll have to see that at the end of the day, we’re all on the same side, and that’s how they’ll listen to you! You are strong Chihiro, and you’re kind! I’ve seen you getting stronger over the years, and everyone else has seen it too. People will support you!” 

Chihiro nodded, but Makoto could see a hint of apprehension in his eyes. He still wasn't as sure of himself as he had been. Makoto felt a twinge of guilt again, but he wasn’t sure why. Wasn’t encouraging Chihiro to believe in everyone the right thing? Even if someone was lying, wasn’t it better to believe in everyone still, because at least then you’d still have hope? Or was he just delaying the truth? Was he taking advantage of Chihiro’s kind nature by leading him on to a conclusion he knew was false? 

“Goodbye, Makoto. Thanks for talking with me,” Chihiro said. “I-I can’t wait for you to get out of here, so we can all be friends again!” Chihiro left with his laptop tucked under his arm, and Makoto waved after him, trying to ignore the nausea brewing inside of him. 

This lie… it wouldn’t hurt Chihiro in the end… would it? No, as long as the true killer was found… he’d never have to doubt Mukuro, and he’d believe in her. Mukuro needed all the belief she could get, and Makoto would help her. Lying to a friend to protect a friend… it felt… wrong. No, no! Makoto clutched onto the sleeves of his hoodie. No, this has to be right! If it isn’t… this all would’ve been for nothing and Mukuro-no. He believed in her. She wouldn’t do this, not after years of growth and friendship that couldn’t be faked. Mukuro… just hold out a little bit longer, he thought. This will all be sorted out, the true killer would be found. We can get through this together. 

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Detention Center, Visitor’s Room

Taka’s Visit

“Makoto! I am right on time!” Taka grinned as he checked his watch and sat down in front of Makoto. Makoto noticed right off the bat that his familiar red armband was missing. His posture was just as straight as ever, and it made Makoto sit up as well, purely out of reflex. “Good!” Taka said. “You fixed your posture! I did not want to have to remind you, but I am glad you remembered! Accommodations here tend to be rather slim, so I would recommend making sure to keep up with your health regiments like straightening your posture and working out!” 

“I, uh, don’t work out that often anyway, Taka,” Makoto shrugged. 

“You should start then, it is very invigorating!” Taka’s face grew serious. “I want to get right to the point, Makoto. I came here to apologize to you. I did not want to leave the class… but this had to be addressed! My father is a police officer, and you have heard Mondo’s stories about his times in these types of places… and I am sorry I put you through this!” Kiyotaka’s eyebrows furrowed, and Makoto could see he was holding back tears. 

“Taka, c’mon. I already said I forgive you,” Makoto said. “I know that it was hard for you to even testify. I actually think it was really brave of you.” 

“I-I should’ve tried to talk to you, still,” Taka replied. “When I saw you there… I didn’t even think to ask what was going on, and this whole thing could’ve been avoided.” 

Makoto tensed at that last remark. If Taka had stuck around, what would he have even said that would have spared Mukuro? He was lucky Taka hadn’t seen the note, or Mukuro would be here instead of him… and he wasn’t sure she’d have the support that he did.

“Makoto!” Taka’s voice snapped him back to Earth. “You look uneasy. Are you alright? Do you need me to get you anything? Have you been getting proper amounts of sleep? My father did mention that some convicts tend to lose sanity due to sleep deprivation because of their surroundings-” 

“-Taka,” Makoto sighed, “I’m alright. If anything, all these questions are giving me a headache.”

“I’m sorry!” Taka held onto his sleeve where his armband would normally be. “I can tell you some things from the outside that I have been meaning to share with you. Maybe it will help you feel better.” 

“Are you going to tell me that a wild bear ran off with your armband?” Makoto asked, trying to lighten the mood. 

“Makoto, we’re in a city! Why would there be a bear in an urban area?” Taka’s eyebrows furrowed. “Oh! It was a joke!” He blushed slightly. “Hahaha! Very funny!” Taka managed a small laugh, and Makoto just felt plain awkward. Taka was a great friend and person, but he tended to be rather dense at times. “I merely gave my armband to Mondo before I left,” Taka explained. “That way, if anything were to happen in my absence, he has my authority and permission to deal with it. If anyone can protect the school while I’m gone, it’s my Kyoudai!” 

Makoto couldn’t help but smile a bit. It was a bit reassuring to hear that at least a few students still had faith in each other. Still, he figured the bond between Taka and Mondo would be pretty hard to sever anyway, though it worried him to think that it would be possible for the killer to do so. Possible, but not likely, Makoto reassured himself. Makoto crossed his arms. “Protect the school? Aren’t there police officers there?” 

“Oh,” Taka said. “I merely meant that he’d make sure everyone was calm and behaved. There are some officers patrolling the perimeters of the school, but they aren’t around constantly, nor do they know our student body as well as a member of the class would. Of course, I have been told that there are officers getting sent to your house to help out there as well. After all, my father has been with Mrs. Hagakure, so they are being sent to families as well.” 

“Is she okay?” Makoto asked, thinking back to her outburst in court and Mr. Wright talking about her. She was hurting right now, no doubt. Hiro had talked about his mom before, mainly about how chill she was, and how she could be a bit embarrassing at times. He wondered how Hiroko had reacted when she’d first heard the news. It probably hadn’t been pretty. 

“My father did tell me that she was rather distraught at first,” Taka said. “He also said that he asked to be the officer assigned to her specifically because Hiro and I were in the same class. He said he thought it would make her feel better to have a fellow parent there with her. I do believe he was right. I think he’s helped her… and I do believe my father has taken a liking to her. He describes her as a very admirable and strong woman despite the circumstances.” 

“I-I just feel really bad,” Makoto said. “I just wish there was something I could do, or something I could say about Hiro to make her feel better, but I doubt she wants to talk to me. Ever.” 

“She did seem to come around in the end,” Taka countered. “I do believe she now has focused on the rest of us… though my father says she doesn’t suspect me because I’m related to my father…” 

“I didn’t think of your father as a comforter,” Makoto admitted. “He always seemed so serious the few times we’ve met.” 

“He takes himself very seriously!” Taka exclaimed. “I do believe the stress of being a single parent is hard… which is why he seems to get on with Mrs. Hagakure as well. They have that in common as well.”

“Did he tell you that too?” 

“No, I just guessed it.”

“You know, sometimes you’re more intuitive than I give you credit for, Taka,” Makoto said with a small smile. “Sometimes you can be a bit dense, but other times you can be really perceptive. It’s almost a bit mind-blowing. I guess it just depends on the subject.” 

“What do you mean?” Taka furrowed his eyebrows, looking at Makoto intensely. “What subjects? I am at the top of the class in all of them!” 

“No,” Makoto shook his head. “I mean like you get certain things a lot more than you get others. I guess you’ve got more experience learning to tell how your father is feeling, or being able to tell when someone is breaking the rules, then with things like… understanding jokes and other social things.” 

“How would I fail to understand those things?” Taka crossed his arms. “I’ve been told I have been improving remarkably! I remember Leon even telling me that I was beginning to sound, and I quote, not as much like a robot anymore!” 

Makoto grinned. “I still remember when I first met you, all you could talk about were rules and just nagged everyone else about getting up early and eating habits, y’know? I’d had no idea you were trying to be friendly by doing that stuff!” 

“I hadn’t realized how I was coming off,” Taka admitted. “I suppose it was after Mondo and I became friends that I started to become more… conventionally social. Though, I do always remember you being kind to me, even before that incident!” 

“Of course,” Makoto said. “Why wouldn’t I be? Like I said, you really did mean well, and I’m glad I was. I got to know you, and you’re a really nice person, Taka.” Makoto wondered what kind of stories he could reminisce about next, but he did notice Taka looking at the clock, and he wondered if he was worried. 

Knowing Taka, he was thinking about the others. Even if he’d left Mondo in charge (theoretically) he would still worry. Makoto felt a bit better now, though, as he talked with Taka, who was listening attentively. However, he heard a slight creak as he was formulating his next words, and he looked to see Mr. Wright, Maya, and Pearl, looking straight at him. 

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Detention Center, Visitor’s Room

Mr. Wright, Maya, and Pearl’s Visit (Again…)

“Taka, we need to talk to Makoto,” Maya said, matter of factly. “You can, uh, either wait outside, or go back to the school.” 

“I believe I should go back,” Taka stood up. “I am worried about missing a potential incident in my absence, as I must admit, it is rather tense.” 

Makoto crossed his arms. Sayaka and Chihiro said the same thing… so it must’ve not gotten any better. Makoto looked at Taka, whose concerned look didn’t help at all. 

““It’s uh, a little late for that,” Mr. Wright said, looking rather embarrassed. “There was a whole incident already… Byakuya said some things and Leon retorted and punched him-” 

“-then Mondo tried to stop him!” Pearl interrupted, “-But then they ended up shoving each other and then Chihiro got hurt, and Toko was waving around those kiddie scissors, oh! And then Jill showed up and Prosecutor von Karma-” Pearl stopped and a look of bashful realization of the mood crossed her face, but Makoto felt his heart plummeting to his feet. “It’s uh, over now anyway,” Pearl said apologetically. 

“I have to get back right away!” Taka bolted out of the room with a horrified look, and Makoto knew he’d see it as his own fault… though he wasn’t sure if he’d blame himself for leaving, or intrusting the school to Mondo. 

He wanted to try and say something to Taka to try and get him to calm down or even try to put in a good word on Mondo’s behalf to try and prevent another potential fight… but he might just make him feel worse, or bring attention to Mondo’s actions when Taka might never even think to blame him. The killer was making their move, Makoto thought. They were causing more discord, breaking the class up further, and he was helpless to stop it. He’d already thought about how a bond like Taka and Mondo’s would be hard to sever, but this incident, from what he’d just heard, seemed like just the way to form a rift like that. Makoto crossed his arms. It was clear no bond was safe from this killer. They weren’t going to stop until the class was shattered. 

“So it reached a boiling point…” Makoto frowned, facing the three members of Wright and Co. None of them looked happy to be telling him this. “I-I wish I could talk to them.” He didn’t think anyone would actually get hurt, or that it would come to blows, but he still had to hold out. It was bad, but telling Mr. Wright his secret would make it even worse, Makoto thought. 

“It was resolved,” Mr. Wright said, in an attempt to get him to ease up. Makoto appreciated the effort. “At least for now. They’re calming down. Anyway… I think it’s about time we talked.” 

Makoto saw Mr. Wright’s hand reach into his pocket, and he tensed up. The magatama. He found something to confront him on… but what? Komaru hadn’t shown up yet… maybe she’d tried to hide the album from them? Maybe her bus was late, or maybe she’d gotten a snack with that prosecutor lady. He had to calm down, and at least attempt to stall Mr. Wright until he could know the album was in her possession. 

“I’m not covering for the murderer, I swear!” Makoto said, making sure to look Mr. Wright in the eye. 

“You are covering for someone though,” Mr. Wright said. “And they could very well be guilty.”

“Who would I even be covering for?” Makoto asked, trying to sound sure of himself. Deep down, he was terrified. Mr. Wright had already caught onto the fact that he was protecting someone, and he’d seen firsthand the way Mr. Wright pressed witnesses to make them talk-

“-Mukuro Ikusaba.” Mr. Wright’s eyes pierced Makoto, as if he were looking through him instead of at him.

Makoto could feel his heartbeat quickening, and he could heat the beating in his ears. He couldn’t give in now. He wouldn’t be broken down. He knew Komaru had the most important piece of evidence, and without it, Mr. Wright couldn’t outwit him. “Mukuro?” Makoto asked. “Why would I need to protect her?” 

“There’s evidence all over that points to her,” Mr. Wright said. “Firstly, we got your photo album. There was a note inside of it signed by M, like on the justice card, telling you to meet them by the gym. Mukuro’s name starts with M.” 

Makoto froze. He felt as if the floor were starting to spin beneath him. Mr. Wright had the photo album. Komaru had to have given it to him, considering her head start and the fact that Chihiro confirmed that Komaru had his handbook. Why? Why would she betray him like this? Did she have any idea what she’d just done? He couldn’t focus on that now. Mukuro was still counting on him.

“There are other things that start with M,” Makoto protested, and he could feel frustration already leaking into his voice. “It could just have nothing to do with this.”

Mr. Wright shook his head. “No, it specifically said she was returning a hoodie to you on the night of the murder by the gym, where the bloody hoodie was seen, and Celeste did mention the hooded figure looked similar enough from where she was to be you. It would only look that way if the hoodies were similar. It has everything to do with this. Also, we went to her room-” 

“-How could you even get in there?” Makoto pressed. Mukuro hardly let anyone in her room, and Makoto couldn’t imagine her letting Mr. Wright in, of all people. Only him and Junko had ever been in there. 

Mr. Wright held up a handbook with his own vitals listed. It looked so similar to his own handbook, and Makoto was in disbelief. “I’ve got access to every room thanks to this handbook Chihiro made me-” Wait, Chihiro did that? How come he never told me? Makoto felt queasy as Mr. Wright continued, reaching behind him, “-and I found this,” Mr. Wright pulled out a hoodie, and Makoto had a sinking feeling about exactly which hoodie it was. It was slightly darker than the others, almost black in a certain light. She’d mentioned how much she liked it… 

Mr. Wright continued on. “This hoodie matches your other ones, and compared with the layout of your closet, you’re missing three hoodies, the one you’re wearing, the one you wore on the murder, and this one. Furthermore, there was glass from the crystal ball clinging to this hoodie, meaning it was also by the crime scene! It was tested for blood, and it was awash in it!” 

“Someone could’ve planted it in her room,” Makoto argued, and he felt his palms growing sweaty. His heartbeat hammered in his chest, and he could see he was losing ground. He had to go for broke. “That’s probably all you found because it was a blatant planting of evidence by an outside force that just happened to choose her room and break in!” 

Komaru and Chihiro. They’d both been helping Mr. Wright this whole time. He had no one on this, but he couldn’t stop fighting now. He had to have hope in her, because he knew no one else would. He couldn’t abandon her… even if it looked bad… really really bad.. No! His gut was telling him to have faith, it wasn’t Mukuro! She’d had so many people never even give her the time of day, he wouldn’t be one of them! He wasn’t going to neglect and abandon his friends!

Mr. Wright shook his head, and he looked at Makoto. He could’ve sworn the other man looked sad. “No,” he said. “You wouldn’t be able to break into a room without a handbook, and Mukuro never mentioned hers being stolen. There is a slight gap at the end of the door, but not nearly enough to fit a jacket under… and the jacket was hidden in a drawer. Only Mukuro could’ve hidden it in her own room. Also… there were several files missing from the library yesterday about me…” Mr. Wright took an apprehensive breath, and Makoto tensed with anticipation as a single bead of sweat rolled down his temple. He didn’t dare to wipe at it. He couldn’t show weakness. Mr. Wright continued, “...and I found them in Mukuro’s room as well. She hid them in her bed and pillowcases. Makoto, it’s not just you she’s after.” 

“She’s not after me, or you!” Makoto could hear the anger in his own voice. It wasn’t fair! He couldn’t count on anyone out there to help him, not even Komaru, and now he was failing at protecting his friend… he was powerless again. Powerless. No. No. He couldn’t give up. There was still an argument to be made. Makoto glared at Mr. Wright. “I-I don’t know how those files got in there… or where the folders are-” he gestured to the loose papers, “-but it couldn’t be Mukuro. Think about it! Does Mukuro seem like the type to even plan something so elaborate? She’s serious and practical, if she wanted something done, she’d just do it, not come up with an elaborate plot to involve you! She’s not interested in that kind of stuff and I doubt she even knew your name before any of this happened!” 

Mr. Wright’s gaze faltered, and Makoto managed to finally take a breath. He’d finally gained a bit of ground. This was the crux of his argument, Makoto realized. His belief of Mukuro wasn’t purely friendship based. The evidence wasn’t cohesive either. If he could appeal to logic, maybe he could sway Mr. Wright… as long as he didn’t look too much deeper. However, Makoto’s heart sank as he saw Mr. Wright flip through the photo album, and his eyes widening once he’d gotten to a certain page. Maya let out a soft gasp, and Makoto tensed up. What had they seen? 

“Here’s my answer!” Mr. Wright’s eyes flared with confidence as he looked at Makoto. Even Maya and Pearl seemed confident. “Makoto… you knew she had something to do with this from the beginning…. from the moment you walked into the crime scene and saw this piece of evidence.” 

Makoto maintained eye contact with Mr. Wright, despite the growing pit of dread in his stomach. Mr. Wright took out the knife, and Makoto’s eyes widened. Nonononono...Makoto felt like he was going to vomit. 

Mr. Wright held the knife tentatively. “This knife handle matches the one in this photo, in this sheath. The handles are an exact match.” Mr. Wright took out the album and pointed to the photo in question, and Makoto went pale, his ahoge slumping. “We’ve had Mukuro’s knife this whole time, but we didn’t know it. You did. Between her wearing gloves on the night of the murder, and you getting your prints on it, it marred any possibility of getting her prints… and it makes sense she’d use her best weapon to kill. She is the ultimate soldier after all. Everything points to her, Makoto.” 

Makoto desperately clutched at his hoodie. He felt sweat rolling down his face, and he clenched his teeth tightly, trying to prevent himself from shouting or sobbing. He was losing. After everything, he was failing. Powerless, useless...hopeless. Komaru… Mukuro… Hiro… Makoto felt tears burning at the corners of his eyes. Mr. Wright caught his gaze, and Makoto could see his eyes were brimming with pity. He looked distraught, but his posture was still rigid. He wasn’t going to give up, no matter how sympathetic he was. He wanted the truth… but…

“-Please, Makoto,” Maya finally spoke up, and she looked at him with desperation. Her normally friendly eyes were clouded with disappointment and worry, and it made Makoto want to cry even more. Maya’s gaze turned to the photo album. “Komaru even gave us this album because she just wants you to tell the truth and finally put yourself first. She said she wanted to help you… and disobeying you was how she could do that. She knows this is crazy!” 

Makoto felt his grip on his hoodie loosen. Komaru… said that? She’s helping him? B-but how would she know that is the best course of action? What had Mr. Wright and Maya told her? Komaru didn’t trust him anymore, he reasoned. She was his little sister, she’d looked to him for judgment and advice multiple times over their lives… and now she’d strayed from that. He wondered if she thought he’d betrayed her, did she see his reliance on her naivety? Was this lie going to cost him the hope and support of his own little sister? Nononono-

“-Kyoko said you should come clean too, because Mukuro can take care of herself… and I know Kyoko wants you to go free more than anything!” Maya continued, and Makoto felt like he was splitting in two.

Kyoko. She was so strong but… Makoto hadn’t stopped to think about her in this whole mess. He’d just assumed that Kyoko wouldn’t doubt him after that first day, that his hope would inspire her to look at the investigation with that mindset, to try and look past his classmates, including Mukuro. She’d discovered his lie too then… how did she really react? Maya’s pained tone told him it hadn’t been easy. Kyoko trusted him after everything so far, and he knew how hard it was for her to come to a conclusion to trust someone fully, but he’d lied to her still. He was one of the few people she’d think to trust like that, and he’d lied to her. Did she think after everything, he was covering for a murderer? Did she hate him now? He wanted to see her, right now. He suddenly wanted to explain everything to her, just her. Kyoko… would she understand? Had he just ruined one of his closest friendships for this lie… this lie… what had it done to him? 

Maya wasn’t done. “The class needs you to come clean, so this can be put to rest, and Hiroko needs to know Hiro’s killer. Like we said, this secret isn’t helping anyone, in fact, it’s only hurting everyone! This uncertainty is turning everyone else against each other… Makoto… there might not be a unified class to save if you don’t stop protecting her.” 

Makoto weakly clutched at his sleeves, looking at the greys of the floors. He couldn’t even look at Maya. Maya had spent time with them all too, Makoto thought. She’d been their friend before all of this. She’d hung out with Leon and Hiro in that burger joint, and it was haunting to think the person who’d brought her into their lives in the first place was dead. Maya was upset too, he realized. She was seeing friends fall apart…. because of him. This lie… it helped Mukuro… but it was hurting everyone else. He was hurting everyone else. He’d told himself he was doing the right thing, saving his friends… but that was a lie. He was only looking out for Mukuro, and everyone else suffered for it. His little sister, the girl he loved, all of his friends… and even the victim’s mother were paying for what he’d done. All for her. Her. 

“Makoto,” Mr. Wright met his gaze, and Makoto could see he knew he’d won. He didn’t look triumphant though. He just looked miserable. He’d hated every second of this, Makoto realized… and this was all his fault. He’d made Mr. Wright go through this whole endeavor to confront him, when he valued trust among clients above all else. Makoto made Mr. Wright do this… this was always going to happen, he realized. Mr. Wright would’ve found the truth. He always does. That’s why Kyoko had recruited him, after all. 

“I protected someone I loved on the stand once too,” Mr. Wright slid Makoto a few of the file papers, and Makoto scanned them. It talked about Mia, a woman named Dahlia Hawthorne and.. Feenie? Was that him? Mr. Wright continued. “I was young, stupid, and I was in love. This girl… she nearly got me to poison myself on the stand. She didn’t care about me, yet I wanted to take the fall for her. Mukuro has made no effort to try and help us or confess to anything. Her alibi was vague… and it was probably a lie. She’ll leave you out to dry… so please don’t make the mistake I did. Don’t let her do this to you.” 

Makoto looked at the papers, and his eyes filled with tears. This was how Mr. Wright and the others saw Mukuro, as this Dahlia Hawthorne-like figure, a heartless temptress who was using him. That wasn’t true… but how could he blame them for thinking it was? Mukuro hadn’t been doing her all to help him, she wasn’t trying to explain herself, or even attempt to guide Mr. Wright. His faith in her, he had to try and… no. Makoto could feel the energy to fight for her leaving his body. This lie was eating at him, and enough was enough. She was his friend… but he remembered his promise to Sayaka… another friend. It was time to fulfill that promise. For everyone. For himself. Makoto wiped at his eyes, trying to stop the tears before they came. 

“I-I,” Makoto shakily drew breath, and he felt a single hot tear slip down his cheek.“You really think it was her… and I thought if I tried to hide everything I knew… it would help you guys overlook Mukuro… but it made everything worse. I hurt everyone because of this one lie. I’m sorry.” Makoto hung his head, wiping away the tears. He didn’t deserve to cry after what he’d done to everyone. “I just wanted to help her, because I know something isn’t right.” 

Mr. Wright gave him a sympathetic look and asked him to describe the events leading up to the murder. Makoto began to talk about what all had happened, along with showing Mr. Wright the note he’d hidden for Mukuro, her reply, that felt like it’d been weighing him down since the moment he’d discovered it. Just another reason he’d tried to protect her. He hated reliving that awful night, Hiro’s pained final breaths still lingered in his ear, the way his heart had dropped when he’d seen that note, and he could feel the phantom sensation of warm blood seeping onto his hands… he took a deep breath. Mr. Wright looked concerned, but Makoto continued. He owed him that much, despite how much he hated thinking about that night. Maya looked pained as he mentioned Hiro’s death, and Pearl looked sad as well, and Makoto remembered what Sayaka said about Pearl and felt awful all over again. 

“It’s not your fault,” Mr. Wright said once Makoto was finished. “You did try and save Hiro, and had no way of knowing what happened. What mattered is that you tried, and in your last moments, Hiro didn’t die alone. You were there for him, Makoto. This isn’t your fault.” Mr. Wright’s voice wobbled with emotion, and Makoto was at a loss for words. He’d never seen the older man that emotional. Looking at the files, Makoto wondered if he was speaking from experience. 

“You really think so?” Makoto asked through shaky breaths. He locked eyes with Mr. Wright. He couldn’t help but think about how they had the same sorrowful look that he’d seen on so many of his friend’s faces when they’d visited. 

Mr. Wright nodded. “I really do. You’re a good kid.” 

Makoto felt like a weight had been partially lifted off his chest. Mr. Wright didn’t hate him for what he’d done, and he managed a smile, though he still felt close to tears. “Thanks,” he said. “You’re, uh, the best lawyer I’ve ever had.” He really meant that too, Makoto thought. Mr. Wright was incredible. He’d powered through to find the truth… and he still saw the good in Makoto despite it all. 

Mr. Wright laughed. “Hopefully I’ll be the only lawyer you’ll ever need.” 

“This is really touching, uh, but Makoto, your testimony?” Maya prodded impatiently. 

Makoto blushed. “Sorry! Anyway, I saw the glint of the knife, and I moved to look at it, and I saw it there, along with the note. After I read it, I saw the knife and picked it up… I started to think about what could’ve happened. Before I could do anything, I heard a yell, and it was Taka. He ran out of the room, and I knew I had to act, and I just hid the note and looked around the room instead of running… I just knew, I had this feeling Mukuro was being set up.” She was, right? Even now, he still couldn’t get rid of the feeling it wasn’t Mukuro. 

“Wait, what?” Pearl furrowed her eyebrows, giving Makoto a strange look. “But all the evidence points to her!” 

“Not all of it,” Makoto said. “I finally wanted to tell you guys everything, because I saw your evidence and the trials only helped me see more… and I just know you’re wrong!” Makoto could feel his confidence in returning, uninhibited by his lie. “Mukuro really is a good person, she’s one of my closest friends, and it doesn’t make sense. I thought about it while I was in Hiro’s room, and I thought more here. Like I said, this is all way too extravagant for someone as practical as Mukuro, and that only was proven more during these trials with the other framings. Also, why would she take an interest in you guys at all? It’s unnecessary, she isn’t the type for mind games. Plus, why would she bother to dispose of the scissors and not the knife? If the logic in saying that Toko was framed is that she wouldn’t use a weapon that leads to her, then that should also apply to Mukuro!” 

Maya gave Makoto a similar look to Pearl’s. “But she’s the ultimate soldier-” 

“-But she specializes in knives like these,” Makoto said, gesturing to the survival knife. “She told me about it, it’s a survival knife.” He’d remembered Mukuro showing him how to properly grip the knife one time. She was scarily efficient with it. “She could’ve easily taken a kitchen knife or another weapon not nearly as linked to her. Plus, she has no reason to kill, and no reason to frame me. Hiro and her didn’t interact much, but when they did it was always pleasant. Plus, she’s been getting more social and outgoing as the years pass… look at the photos! Plus… that isn’t all the evidence. You’ve found other things, right?” 

Mr. Wright’s eyebrows were furrowed as he looked at the album, and he seemed to perk up with a hint of understanding. He began to show Makoto the rest of the evidence he’d found: a Monokuma mask and shredded gloves. Seeing Monokuma’s dumb face again made Makoto think back to something else that had been bothering him for a while. Now that there was another Monokuma piece of evidence, it couldn’t be a coincidence. He got Mr. Wright to show him Hifumi’s photos again, and Pearl remarked that Junko wasn’t wearing her normal clips. Just like Makoto had seen before… oh. Makoto felt like he was going to be sick. His mind began to race as the puzzle pieces flew together in his mind. One of his reasons for not suspecting Mukuro was the extravagant nature of the crime, and he knew someone very close to Mukuro. Someone very extravagant and surprisingly smart once you got to know her. Someone who would come up with a plan like this, a plan that would need a devoted accomplice. Mukuro… why? 

Makoto turned to Mr. Wright. “For your magatama… when you questioned Mukuro, and she presumably passed, what exactly did she say to you?” 

Mr. Wright’s face grew pensive with thought. “She said that she was watching Warriors of Hope vs Despair and Junko was playing cards with Celeste and Hifumi. I didn’t think about it, because the magatama didn’t pick up on it, but she was really vague. Why would you bring that up?” Mr. Wright gestured to the photos. “Is there something wrong?” 

“Yeah, because that’s not Junko,” Makoto said, pointing to none other than Mukuro Ikusaba. The accomplice he’d been protecting this whole time. He sighed and buried his head in his hands. “I should’ve put this together sooner. That’s her smile,” he pointed to the picture of disguised Mukuro grinning with the peace sign, and compared it to the picture of Mukuro doing the exact same pose. 

He remembered thinking about how great it was she was finally happy in that one photo. That smile… he’d protected that smile… he’d wanted to believe in the girl behind that smile. The one he’d come to know so well, but it caused him to cover for her in the worst way. She was an accomplice to the murder of one of his friends. Hiro… she helped kill Hiro… he’d been in so much pain as he died… and he’d covered for someone who’d made his death possible. 

Makoto sighed as he looked at the stunned looks on the other three’s faces and continued to speak. “Mukuro technically wasn’t lying,” he explained, “-and that’s how she pulled it off. She was watching the show, and Junko,” Makoto made air quotes as he said her name, “was playing cards. She never said who Junko really was. This was never Mukuro’s idea… but she did have something to do with it. She’d have to for this to work. I bet she was told about the magatama and how to beat it. She’s been getting better but there are some things that won’t change easily…” Makoto paused. Once he said this… it was reality. He’d have to accept the truth now. No matter how much it hurt. “... like her loyalty to Junko.” 

“What do you mean?” Mr. Wright choked out. Makoto could tell from his nauseated expression he already knew the answer. He’d probably thought of Junko as friendly and well-meaning… like he once had. 

“It means that Junko is the one who did this,” Makoto said, feeling that same nausea wash over him. She’d fooled both of them… and maybe even Mukuro too. “She had Mukuro take her place in these photos, giving herself a solid alibi during the murders. I wonder if she acted oddly… Mukuro isn’t the best actress.” He remembered the time that she’d tried to impersonate Sayaka’s cheery attitude at lunch. It was so bad. He’d laughed so hard he’d spit out his drink. Makoto pushed down that memory. Now wasn’t the time to think of the good times with Mukuro. Not after what she’d done. “Junko probably took the files to read up on you, and figured out how to beat the magatama and told Mukuro. Also, if you look at the photos,” Makoto flipped through the camera roll, “Her hand goes into her pocket around 9:23, our at 9:25, but it is in her pocket for the rest of the photos.” 

Mr. Wright snapped his fingers in realization. “She’s got a tattoo on her left hand, and she must be trying to hide it!” 

Makoto nodded. “Exactly. It’s a wolf from Fenrir.” 

“Fenrir?” Pearl asked. 

“It’s the group she used to be a mercenary for. She was uh, recruited by them at a really young age. It’s a touchy subject, and I don’t know if I should really talk about it…” Makoto thought about explaining it, but he decided against it. It was really personal, and some of the things Mukuro had told him about it… he didn’t feel right telling the story for her. Not about this, at least. Makoto continued. “Anyway, I wanted to bet she had foundation from Junko on her hand at first to hide it, like with her freckles,” Makoto pointed out Mukuro’s freckles in the album photo, “but then she reached into her pocket to get something… which I think was the three of swords. She’d put it in the deck while Celeste was gone so she wouldn’t notice, and Hifumi is too busy watching the show. However, it smudged the foundation when she rustled around in her pocket,” Makoto pointed at a small point on Mukuro’s hand, and zoomed in to reveal the smallest black line on her hand, no doubt the start of her tattoo, “-so she had to hide her hand for the rest of the night. All I don’t know is how they switched back… or how Mukuro has your files. I don’t think she would take them. I think that has Junko written all over it. After all, these are just papers, where are the manilla envelopes?” 

Mr. Wright placed a hand under his chin. “It makes sense that Junko would have the beauty supplies to makeover Mukuro. It also makes sense that Mukuro’s talent of being the ultimate soldier would get put to use with stealth of stealing Toko’s scissors to give to Junko or slip the card to Celeste, and she probably stole it from Yasuhiro in the first place. Also, Junko has been-” Mr. Wright froze with realization. A look of horror overtook his features.

“What is it?” Maya asked. She turned to Mr. Wright. “Nick, it’s already unbelievable enough that someone as cute as Junko could be so evil!” Makoto didn’t know what to press first, why Maya kept calling Mr. Wright Nick, or that she’d thought Junko was cute.

“She called me Wrighto…” Mr. Wright said, placing his head into his hands. “Three times. Once before the trial yesterday, and twice during the fight. Gant constantly called me that, and it’s in the file’s transcript of his testimony. She was dropping hints about having the missing files the whole time… and I missed it. Mukuro never said anything related to them, so Junko must’ve at least started out with them. And the Monokuma mask… she’s a Monokuma fanatic. She’s toying with us. She wants everyone to fight… but I don’t know her motive.” Mr. Wright held his head in his hands, and met eyes with Makoto, his shoulders still slumped with worry. Junko is already starting to get into his head with these files, Makoto noted with worry. “You wanted us to see that it wasn’t Mukuro… but did you always suspect Junko?” 

Makoto gave Mr. Wright a sympathetic look to try and get him to disregard Junko’s games, and he shrugged. “I wasn’t certain,” he admitted. “After all, everyone knew the blind spot camera path. Hiro taught the whole class. It’s just one of those things,” Makoto looked at the photo album and smiled sadly, remembering Hiro ducking and weaving like a madman to the amusement of the rest of the class. “It’s one of those things that makes me have faith in the rest of my classmates, you know? They were all close enough to share these kinds of things and help each other-” 

“Yeah,” Maya said, crossing her arms. “Chihiro said something similar when he told us his secret. Now that I think about it,” Maya furrowed her eyebrows. “Kiyotaka wasn’t open about his relationship with Mondo at first, but everyone kept that a secret too… though it was pretty obvious. At least to me, and uh, Edgeworth. Nick took a minute, though.” 

Makoto smiled as Mr. Wright blushed at that last remark. “Yeah, that’s right. You know, they actually used to really hate each other. Stuff like that trust in the class, and changing attitudes just shows how much closer everyone has gotten over the years, and why this whole thing is hitting so hard. Everyone is here in these photos, and I’ve seen everyone open up, and there is so much good or potential for good in everyone! You can see as the years go by, everyone getting closer.” Makoto sighed, thinking of everyone. Everyone he thought he was protecting… but was actually hurting. “That’s also why I did it. I didn’t want anyone to lose hope in each other… even if I was the casualty. But, I didn’t want the murderer to get away. Now that I know it’s Junko, and she’s been lying to everyone for so long,” Makoto could feel anger bubbling in his chest. She was responsible for all of this, and he didn’t know why, but he was going to make her pay for all of it. He was done being powerless. “I want her to go down. She killed my friend, and she’s trying to tear apart the others. I don’t know why yet, or why she’d rope Mukuro in… but she won’t get away with it!” 

Mr. Wright shook his head in affirmation. He looked the most determined Makoto had ever seen him look. “No she won’t! I’ll make sure of it!”he said.

Makoto nodded, managing a smile. “I have total faith in you,” he said. 

That wasn’t a lie at all. His hope rested with Mr. Wright, but that wasn’t a problem. He believed in him. After all, Komaru had believed in Mr. Wright, Kyoko believed in Mr. Wright, even Chihiro and Sayaka believed as well. Everyone else believed in Mr. Wright, and he did too. Now more than ever, they were a team. A team with trust, and no more secrets. 

“I even have a place you can start, Monokuma’s Party Palace, a few blocks away,” he said. “Junko likes to shop there, and I bet that’s where she got the mask. She uh, got me a Monokuma hoodie for my birthday from there… I returned it though. It was huge on me. See if you can get proof she went there to get the mask.” Makoto grit his teeth. That store had been the most depressing place on the planet. He’d wondered why Junko liked it so much… though now that was really the last question he had for Junko. 

Mr. Wright nodded. “Good idea.” He stood up, and gave Makoto a small smile. “We’ve got to go. Stay strong, Makoto. You’re almost a free man. As long as we can get Junko to confess, the court will have the guilty party and you can go free.” 

Makoto nodded back. “I will… and I’m sorry for lying. I should’ve trusted you off the bat, and I should’ve had faith that you guys would go down the right path. Mukuro didn’t do it… but she was involved, and I overlooked that because I just thought she’d really changed and I covered for her but… I just made a mess-” Makoto felt his voice beginning to wobble again.

“-you were protecting a friend. You believed in her,” Mr. Wright said, sighing. He didn’t look resentful at all, much to Makoto’s relief. “I can’t say it made things easy for me… but I understand why you did it. You had a hunch… and it’s right. We’re going to prove it for you.” 

“You can count on us, dude!” Maya said, grinning at Makoto, and slapping her hand against the glass as a sort of high-five. Makoto smiled, glad to see Maya getting in good spirits again. It had been hard to see her upset at him, and he was glad she seemed to be forgiving him.

Pearl waved at Makoto, and he waved as well, smiling fondly at the little medium. He hoped she was okay too. Makoto’s eyes flitted to the door, and he felt his joints stiffen.Mukuro was as stoic as the day Makoto met her and Junko… Junko was grinning ear to ear. Mukuro looked at him with a softness in her eyes, but Junko’s eyes were locked on Mr. Wright, like a lioness eyeing prey.

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Detention Center, Visitor’s Room

Junko and Mukuro’s Visit

“Hey Wrighto!” Junko grinned, enjoying the subtle discomfort Mr. Wright displayed, despite his best efforts. She’s already trying to psyche him out, Makoto thought. 

Mukuro moved past Junko and the three members of Wright and Co, and sat to face Makoto. “It’s nice to see you,” she said, and Makoto could tell she was being sincere. If anything, it confused him, considering what she’d done. 

“Hey, go on back to the school. I think I get your point,” Makoto said to Mr. Wright, who’d been giving him a concerned gaze. Hopefully, he’d get the message and leave. He’d be fine. 

“Okay, just stay strong,” Mr. Wright said, as he left with Maya and Pearl. 

Makoto could tell Mr. Wright was hesitant to leave him with the twins, but Makoto finally felt confident. He could do this for the team. He could take on Mukuro and Junko, and hopefully buy Mr. Wright some time. He wasn’t going to be useless. He was going to help put Junko away for what she’d done. For now, the best thing he could do was pretend as if nothing was amiss. It wouldn’t be easy, he thought. He was pretty disgusted with both of them, Junko moreso. 

“Are you doing alright?” Mukuro asked. “I’ve been really worried about how you would do in a place like this.” She looked at Makoto with such genuine worry and care that it made Makoto feel conflicted over his anger with her. How could she seem so sincere, after everything that happened? 

“Oh, come on, sis.” Junko said, dismissing her rather nonchalantly. “It’s Makoto! He’s probably saying some cheesy hope mantras to get him through this. He’s fine.”

“It has been hard, actually,” Makoto countered, careful to avoid sounding angry. “Though, I am, uh, hopeful like you said. I know I’m innocent and I’ll be out of here tomorrow. Plus, all of my friends have been supporting me.” 

Mukuro managed a half-smile. “That’s really nice-” 

“-Puhuhuhu!” Junko began to laugh. “C’mon, Makoto, You don’t have to be fake with us. You have to see that your friends haven’t been all in your corner. You can’t tell me you aren’t a bit mad at Celeste for trying to sell you out, or Byakuya. I’ve overheard that he tried to buy off Wrighto! Crazy, huh?” 

Makoto frowned. “I wasn’t happy with either of those examples,” he admitted, “but they’ll come around. Byakuya and Celeste aren’t all bad. It’s the circumstances that are making them act that way.” 

It wasn’t like they were happy to see him locked up, Makoto reasoned. Byakuya had even visited him on the first day of his detainment to explain that he’d try and help him after graduation. Of course, Makoto hadn’t really thought of trying to buy off his defense because their supposed idiocy wasn’t ideal. Of course, he’d shot Byakuya down, he believed in Mr. Wright and he knew that Kyoko wouldn’t ask him for help if she didn’t have confidence in his skill, but he hoped now that Byakuya had seen that for himself. At the very least, maybe Leon had punched some sense into him… though he’d never say that to Byakuya. Celeste had yet to visit him, but Makoto wondered if that was because she didn’t want to face him after her testimony. 

“That isn’t an excuse,” Mukuro said suddenly. “They shouldn’t have done that. They’re your friends. They shouldn’t have betrayed you. I didn’t think they would do something like that.” 

Makoto looked straight at Mukuro. “Yeah,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “I guess you have a point. A real friend wouldn’t act like that. A real friend would never betray someone like that to further themselves. I just don’t know why they would though. I thought we were friends.” Mukuro shifted in her seat and Makoto bit his lip. “Celeste and Byakuya, I mean,” he added. 

Mukuro’s eyes flashed with guilt, and Makoto was more confused than ever. Why was she acting this way? It didn’t make sense how someone could participate in a murder with seemingly no hang ups, yet still look at him with pained eyes. She really was worried about him, and it made him both feel like there was hope for her, but also slightly angry as well. Makoto wasn’t used to being angry with people, but even if she was still concerned about him and sincere in her convictions of friendship, he still felt sparks of rage when he looked at her. Do you have any idea what I did for you?! He wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her. Why did you do this?! Do you have any idea how many people I lied to for you?! Do you have any idea how many relationships you ruined for not just me, but for everyone?! Everyone is falling apart and it’s partially your fault. Makoto wanted to scream at her, shake her, maybe even hug her and tell her it would all be okay once Junko was put away, but he couldn’t. Even if he could, he didn’t know where he would even start. 

“I heard there was a really big fight,” Makoto blurted out, trying to change the subject. “I’m glad you two weren’t involved, from what I can tell.” 

“Actually, that’s kinda wrong,” Junko said, adjusting her Monokuma hair clips. “Mukuro valiantly saved little Pearl Fey from the clutches of danger!” She laughed again, and nudged Mukuro, whose expression didn’t change. “C’mon! Tell him how good we were.” 

“It sounds like it was just Mukuro who did the saving,” Makoto quipped. “You didn’t do anything to help.” 

“You’re lame,” Junko scoffed. “Well, you aren’t totally wrong, though,” she admitted with a pout. Makoto nearly laughed, but bit his tongue, merely managing a weak smile.

A few days ago, before he’d discovered the truth, he probably would’ve laughed. He’d appreciate Junko’s levity and laugh with her, maybe even seeing it as a testament to how hopeful she was that everything would go right. Now, however, every mannerism of Junko’s that Makoto had gotten to know: her constant laughter, her smile, the way she’d constantly drag around Mukuro, her hidden intelligence that would always come out at weird times (Makoto was one of the few to ever notice), it was all tainted with a disturbing air of hidden meaning that he’d never seen before. She wasn’t being playful with Mukuro, she was being controlling. All that laughter didn’t show hope or kindness, it showed someone who didn’t care about the consequences of their actions and their effect on others. Though, maybe that was wrong. Maybe the effect was what she was always after. 

“It wasn’t a big deal,” Mukuro said. “During the fighting Chihiro got hurt, and Pearl ran to him to help… I found it quite brave for that little girl to go headfirst into the frey like that, considering everyone was so much bigger and angrier than her,” Mukuro’s posture relaxed, and her eyes looked faraway, as if she were remembering something from long ago. “I-I just happened to see her path to Chihiro was in the way of Jill-” 

“-Jill came out?!” Makoto could feel a headache coming on. “A-and she tried to hurt Pearl?” 

“No,” Mukuro shook her head, and Makoto saw her starting to smile. “Your face when I mentioned Jill… just… hahaha!” 

Mukuro laughed, and Makoto found himself smiling too. However, hearing Junko’s laugh join in and seeing her drape her arm over Mukuro put a stop to his laughter. Mukuro stopped laughing too, as if she could sense his tension. Or, maybe Junko had ruined the moment for her too. Why had they come together, he wondered. Maybe, Junko was trying to keep tabs on Mukuro? Makoto felt uneasy all over again. 

“Hey, finish the story,” Junko said, jostling Mukuro. “You said you wanted to see Makoto, and I thought it was going to be a fun time! Makoto is one of the few people who seems to never be down in the dumps, in the pitfalls and traps of despair.” Junko clutched onto the sleeves of her shirt and a blush spread across her face, and it gave Makoto an uneasy feeling. “You can’t just peter out like that!” Junko grabbed Mukuro, and Makoto could see Junko’s nails digging into Mukuro’s arm. “You know you’d be pretty lost without me to help you along in times like this,” she said. “I love you, but you aren’t much of a conversationalist without me.” 

“Sorry,” Mukuro’s face was stony. “You’re right, Junko.” 

“That’s not true!” Makoto declared, feeling the words tumbling out of his lips before he could stop himself. “Mukuro is great to talk to! I really like talking to her, and you didn’t have to interrupt like that! Maybe if you just let Mukuro tell the story, she’d just do it instead of you making her feel bad!” Makoto locked eyes with Mukuro, whose cheeks had turned pink. “You were doing a good job,” he said. “And I do find you fun.”

“Jeez, sorry,” Junko huffed and rolled her eyes. “I just wanted to talk too. It’s not fair watching this whole thing alone… it makes me feel a sense of despair to see you two getting’ so close without me!” Junko grinned at Mukuro. “I thought you said you were over him considering his interest in the young detective-” 

“-Junko!” Mukuro’s face turned bright red, and Makoto raised an eyebrow in confusion. Mukuro turned to Makoto. “D-don’t listen to her! Anyway,” she took a breath, but the blush was still there. Makoto wondered why she’d be blushing. “I wanted to finish the story. So Jill was waving her scissors around and trying to defend Byakuya after Leon punched him, and Pearl was running towards that direction. I just happened to see that she’d be in the path of the scissors if Jill swung them a certain way, and I didn’t think Jill was the type to worry about potentially harming a child, so I just made sure she was safe.” 

“Get this, she was totally unscathed!” Junko said. “Befitting of the ultimate soldier. Any fight Mukuro would enter, she’d exit unscathed. You know that, right?” 

“Of course I know that,” Makoto said. “Mukuro herself told me.” 

“She did?” Junko crossed her arms and looked at Mukuro. “I don’t remember you mentioning that to me. What have you even told Makoto? I remember you telling me that no one else would understand.” 

“You don’t have to answer that, Mukuro,” Makoto said. “You don’t have to tell Junko. What we talk about can be private, after all.” All false pleasantries had dropped from his voice, and both sisters looked at him. Mukuro looked hesitant, but Junko looked annoyed. 

“This is what siblings do, you know.” Junko shook her head. “I’d think you’d know that. After all, you have a sister too, right? Komaru, right. She’s so adorable. I wonder, are you and her as close as Mukuro and I? I’m sure you tell her everything too. I bet she’s just so torn up about having her confidant here-”

“-We don’t tell each other everything!” Makoto exclaimed. “We’re siblings… but we aren’t that close! There are some things you tell friends, not siblings, y’know? A-and Komaru is strong! I know she’s doing alright-” 

“-Do you really know that, though?” Junko placed her hands on her hips. “For all you know, she could be putting on a little show for you. She could be hiding her true feelings, behind this thin and false veneer of hope and other lame stuff. After all, you did say you don’t tell each other everything. Plus… you do know that the inspirational crud you talk about all the time to everyone else is kinda… well, it’s utter fucking baloney!” Junko stuck out her tongue and laughed, flashing her blood-red nails as she raised her hands in manic laughter. 

“Junko, stop!” Mukuro’s voice was desperate. “I just wanted to come here to check on Makoto and you said-” 

“-Shhh!” Junko flicked Mukuro on the side of her head. “I’m just telling Makoto, his little lies about hope and how everyone is just going to come together isn’t true! It’s just like how Usami really never should win! It’s a lie!” Junko’s eyes went dark, and Makoto could see a film of rage cloud them. He felt his heartbeat quicken. He’d never seen her look like that. She looked so… serious. “I think that if he keeps lyin’ to himself, he’s just going to get hurt. I’m trying to look out for him! He needs to see, all of us, his friends, his family, those lawyers, they’re all feeling such despair over this horrible crime. They’re all falling down this horrible depressive pit that there is just no resurfacing from!”

“S-she’s right,” Mukuro said, but she didn’t have the same look of malice that Junko did. Her expression was unreadable. “Makoto, you really thought that everyone has some level of goodness and faith and… it’s not true. I’ve seen what she’s talking about all the time in combat. Junko is right. You’re just going to be hurt by that belief, so you shouldn’t believe that. You should give up on that… and accept that this world is rotten.” Mukuro looked at Makoto, and her eyes shone with passion. “This world is too cruel and horrible for someone like you.” 

Makoto could feel the malice radiating off of Junko, and he felt a chill spread throughout his body. He looked at Mukuro, and his heart began to race. Why… why would she agree with Junko? She thought he was too… nice for this world? What did that even mean? Makoto looked at both of the sisters, with a similar message, but so different in their delivery. How had they come together to commit the crime, then? What did Junko tell Mukuro to get her on board? Why Hiro? Why… me? Makoto had so many questions he wanted to ask, so much he wanted to say to both of them, but he knew he couldn’t. Not yet. However, he couldn’t just let their comments stand. 

“No, that’s wrong!” Makoto glared at Junko. “What you’re saying is just wrong! I get that everyone is upset, and that’s okay, but it won’t be forever! Even if they are upset, and things look dire, everyone who is innocent will come together to unmask the culprit! My hope isn’t going to diminish because everyone is upset, and they happened to fight. Those things happen, and it’s everyone’s inner goodness and hope that allows them to overcome it! It’s that core belief that makes me believe in my friends, even if the things they do aren’t always up to the ideals in my mind,” Makoto briefly looked at Mukuro, “It just means I have to support them and lend them my hope until they have the courage to stand on their own!” Makoto looked at Junko again, and he could feel the disgust radiating off of her. Her smile and casual posture were doing little to cover it up. “As for everyone, have you even talked to them lately? I’ve talked to Sayaka, Chihiro, Taka, and even Mr. Wright, Maya, and Pearl, and I see hope in all of them. Hope that this is all going to work out. I talked to Komaru, and I know that she’s holding out as well.” 

Makoto tensed up. Technically, what he was saying was true, but Mr. Wright, Maya, and Pearl had been the only ones he’d talked to since the fight. He had no way of knowing what the others were thinking now. For all he knew… Junko could be right, but he couldn’t give into her. Even if he had to… lie. No, this wasn’t a lie. His belief in everyone wasn’t going to change, even if he wasn’t certain of their states. That would go against everything he’d said up until now, and besides, he had no reason not to believe. The guilty parties were right in front of him. 

“You really think that?” Mukuro asked, looking genuinely curious. “I-I thought that you’d see and hear about how horrible everything was and give up. After all, everyone is hurting after that fight… and some people have always been worse for wear. Headmaster Kirigiri looks awful…” 

“Oh, don’t forget Hiroko Hagakure!” Junko piped up. “That poor, grief stricken woman. Her outburst in court just reeked of pure despair!” 

“You talk about Headmaster Kirigiri and Hiroko,” Makoto said, “But they aren’t any different. They’re suffering from loss too, but they will overcome their despair and grief. They’re suffering over the loss of two different things, a school’s perfect reputation and a student life, and the loss of a child, yet I have faith they’ll both overcome it and find hope again. All they need is time.” Makoto managed a small smile. “Time is enough to repair wounds, and I have hope that I’ll be able to do that. Once this whole case is over, I’ll help everyone past this, no matter how much time it takes.” Makoto locked eyes with Mukuro, and he could see a conflict brewing within her. She looked genuinely moved by his words. 

I’ll apologize to everyone, he thought. I’ll make things right with Kyoko, I’ll tell Komaru everything. I’ll even try to forgive… her. Everything, in time. Makoto felt lighter already. Time was what he needed to fix everything, and in her own ramblings, Junko had inadvertently helped him discover this. She wouldn’t break him, Makoto thought. There would be time for everyone to heal. Despair wouldn’t take him, and he wouldn’t let it take anyone else!

“Hmph,” Junko scoffed. “You’re just fooling yourself, and I’m telling you this as your friend,” she said. She looked up at the wall. “Huh. Speaking of time, we don’t have much more here. We should be getting back to the school, sis.” Junko got up, and helped Mukuro up as well. 

“Do you really mean what you said, Makoto?” Mukuro asked, still looking at him. She was blushing, and her eyes sparked with passion. “After everything so far, do you truly believe that everything will be okay?” 

“Yeah,” Makoto nodded. “I really, really believe that. If the full truth comes to light, I’ll be okay. If the truth comes out, everyone will be okay. Even if some details come out that upset me at first… I’ll hold onto hope that there is good in everyone still. That’s just who I am… and I think you know that too. We’re friends, after all. I just hope you believe in me enough to listen to me.” Makoto was unable to look away from Mukuro, and the gears in Mukuro’s head seemed to be spinning. Junko annoyedly shook Mukuro to get her to snap out of it, but the latter paid her no mind. Makoto held his breath. Was she going to-

“-I have to go.” Mukuro suddenly turned away. “I-I have to think.” She turned and left, and Makoto could see her trying so hard to keep a neutral expression, but she was beginning to shake. 

“See ya, Makoto!” Junko gave him a mocking salute. “I really hope what you said about everyone needing some time was right.” Junko struck a cutesy pose. “I just know everyone is going to get along forever and ever!” Junko rolled her eyes. “That’s what you wanted me to say, right? Sorry, I just don’t think that’s going to happen. Even if time is all some people will need… isn’t time a luxury that a lot of people don’t have? One minute you’re trying to reach that light at the end of the tunnel… you’re climbing up to the top…. But then your rope is cut from under you, and you fall down into the tunnel before your time is finished. Hope takes time, Makoto, but despair…. oh, despair is instant! It takes such a long time to get out of that tunnel, but only a second to fall back in! Puhuhuhu!”

“W-what are you saying?” Makoto asked, his voice wobbling. It was like Junko wasn’t even trying to hide her true self anymore. “I would think if you’re really innocent that you’d want-” 

“I’m not a dumb blonde, despite my looks,” Junko shook her head. “Oh, and I’m great at reading people. It’s why I love playing cards with Celeste. Even she doesn’t see what I can see… or what you can see. I know what you’re all about, Makoto, but you’ve got me thinking. All your talk about hope and time, Headmaster and Hiroko, it got me thinkin’... eh. I’ve gotta go.” Junko flashed him a grin. “Oh, but before I catch up with my sister, here’s a new bit I’ve been working on!” Junko undid one of her Monokuma clips and threw some hair over her left eye. “Hold on a sec, I’m gonna consult my manager, okay?” Junko pretended to dial a phone. “Puhuhu!” Junko brushed aside her hair and held up the clip. “I’m the manager,” she laughed in an uncanny Monokuma expression. “And I say that this bit is gonna really kill that dumb lawyer when he sees it!” 

“What is that supposed to mean?” Makoto called out desperately. 

Junko skipped out, putting the clip back into place. She completely ignored Makoto, and he felt a sense of dread. He wasn’t going to let Junko get to him, but her words did worry him. He had hope, but it would be stupid not to worry. What was that last outburst just now? Makoto bet it had to do with the files that Junko had on Mr. Wright. She’d apparently already referenced his past in front of him, and was this just another facet of that? What was that even from? There was also what Junko said about time. The pit of dread in Makoto’s stomach began to grow. Was Junko planning something? Makoto felt powerless all over again as he sat in the room all alone, but he was granted the solace of knowing that he’d at least gotten through to Mukuro. He wasn’t sure if he’d truly gotten through to her to the point of her betraying Junko, but he’d at least gotten her to question things, to think. For now, that was a start, and he had hope in Mukuro. He was still angry with her, he was still disappointed, but he was hopeful as well. She could come around… she just needed time. 

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Detention Center, Visitor’s Room

Leon’s Visit

Time. That’s what he needed, and he had it. Makoto had time, but it was wasted time. It was time he was forced to spend in detention, while everyone else went on without him, and he couldn’t know what was happening, Time he was forced to spend reliving every horrible event of the last two days, and rewinding every word Junko and Mukuro said to him. What did she mean? Would Mukuro truly come around? What was Junko implying with her jabs? The words hope and despair lingered in the air around him. They swirled around his head, and just when it seemed as if hope would finally push out despair, it hung on. Junko’s voice rang in his head, and shutting it out was getting harder and harder as the clock continued to tick. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Leon came into the detention center with a guitar on his back. He sat across from Makoto with a sigh. 

“Hey, man,” Leon sighed, running a hand through his hair. He stopped and looked at Makoto. His eyes widened. “Dude, you look terrible. You okay?”

“Yeah,” Makoto sighed. There wasn’t any use worrying Leon, especially considering how he’d taken everything so far. “How are you doing? Is everyone okay?” Makoto blurted out the last question without even thinking. He just had to know. 

“As far as I know, everyone is fine,” Leon said. “I mean, I left after I was in the nurse’s office with Mondo and Chihiro for a bit. I know they’re fine… physically at least. Well, actually Chihiro hurt his arm and Mondo is super guilty even though it’s my fault-” Leon crossed his arms and looked at Makoto. He bit his lip. “I didn’t come here to depress you more, dude. You look horrified.” Leon said, managing a half-smile. “I’m sure Junko and Mukuro told you about how I fucked up. I’ve been a real asshole to everyone… and I feel shitty about it. I’m really sorry, Makoto. I know that whole fight would be the last thing you wanted.” Leon’s gaze fell to his feet. 

“Hey, c’mon,” Makoto said. “Chin up, Leon. You did say you didn’t come here to depress me, after all. I know that the fight was bad… and that you and Byakuya were the catalyst… but I get why you’re upset. You just want Hiro’s killer to be found, because you were friends. You were one of the closest people to him… so I totally get why you’d feel this sort of… despair.” Makoto took a deep breath, and looked at Leon, who was hesitant to meet his gaze. “It probably made you feel distant from everyone else, like you couldn’t trust them, and that your grief was yours to bear alone, and that they could exploit it if they were the killer,” Makoto said. “However, you just needed time… and a whip, I guess. Eventually, you saw that what you’d previously thought wasn’t true. Everyone is grieving and shaken… and if everyone is all closed off and distrustful, it will result in the tension boiling over. What happens next is that we start to forgive and trust again, and from that, we can have hope in each other again… all in time.” 

“You really think so?” Leon asked. “I-I want to apologize to everyone for starting that fight… but what if they don’t want to hear it, or they won’t trust it coming from me? I’ve been horrible, even to Mr. Wright, Maya, and Pearl, and they had nothing to do with this whole thing. They let me and Sayaka help out, when they could’ve shut us out without a second thought. I wish I hadn’t yelled at them and… shit. I’m depressing you again, huh?” 

“It isn’t necessarily joyous,” Makoto admitted, “But I’m glad you’re saying it. I mean, bottling up all this stuff and not talking about it is part of the problem. We all should trust in each other with the truth,” like I should’ve from the start, Makoto thought. “If we do that, everything will seem more genuine. I mean, all you have to do is tell everyone how you truly feel, and I’m sure they’ll believe you! It just has to come from your heart, and it has to be the truth. I have hope in you, Leon. You’ll get through this, and you’ll help everyone else through this too.” 

Leon managed a smile. “I always thought of you as a close friend,” he admitted. “I’m just sorry I snapped at you for so long during this whole thing.” 

Makoto shook his head. “No, once you started to investigate with Mr. Wright, you were actually one of the first ones of the class to believe in me,” Makoto said. “You always second guess yourself… probably because you’re kinda indecisive in general.” 

“Indecisive?!” Leon raised an eyebrow. “That’s stupid! How am I indecisive? I’ve made plenty of decisions.” 

“Well, you’ve always had that whole baseball or music thing,” Makoto said, pointing out Leon’s guitar. “I take it you still haven’t decided, and you’ve had that conflict for as long as I’ve known you. Plus, I remember this one time you came to me for advice on how to ask Sayaka on a date and I said either write her a song or buy her pink flowers, and you couldn’t decide, so you did neither.” Makoto managed a small laugh as Leon blushed. 

“Hey, that last one didn’t happen because I chickened out! I ended up tossing the flowers anyway.” Leon blushed, realizing what he’d just admitted to. “As for the whole baseball versus music thing… I keep on remembering what Hiro told me a few years ago about it. He told me to enjoy the road on the way to my destination. I-I never made up my mind because I wanted to enjoy baseball and learning music. I really like them both, but baseball was something I’m already committed to… even if all the rules really get under my skin.” 

“You could do both,” Makoto suggested. “Maybe Hiro meant that when you find what you enjoy about the road so much, you stick with it and don’t let go. You clearly like both, even if you find the rules of baseball a bit stifling. So why not find a way to do both?” 

“You make a good point, dude!” Leon said. “At any rate, I’m glad to not be talking about that depressing case stuff anymore. I knew you’d be able to turn it around, of all people. You’re really positive, man. I wish I could be like that, and,” Leon took the guitar from his back and held it in front of him. He began to tune it, plucking at the strings. “I brought my guitar here to play for you. You’ve always been really supportive of me and my music, and I thought it would help you to keep up your freakishly positive nature. Besides, you haven’t heard any music in like, three days, and that’s a real crime!” 

Makoto laughed. “I’d really like that, Leon. Thanks. That’s really thoughtful of you.” 

Makoto smiled at Leon, and the latter managed a smile back. Leon strummed the guitar, finally getting it in tune. He began to sing, his voice was rough yet soft, and it paired with the guitar rather well. The lyrics talked about a band of travelers seeing the world together, and about all the wonderfuls sights they’d taken in together, and Makoto felt a sense of calm flood through him. All of Junko’s cryptic words, his worries about Komaru and Kyoko, wondering if the rest of the class was okay, if Mr. Wright found the right evidence, it all melted away for that moment. Instead, Makoto thought of the past. 

He thought about the first time he’d sat in with Leon and Sayaka when they’d begun singing together, and how disjointed and unharmonious they’d been, but they all had so much fun, laughing and playing instruments. He thought of his first midnight donut run with Hina, how Sakura launched them both over the gates, so they could go out past curfew and get donuts. The sweetness of the glaze and Hina’s laughter made him smile. She’d said that he and Sakura were the only ones willing to do that with her. He remembered taking a ride on Mondo’s motorcycle for the first time, and trying not to scream in terror as the other boy whooped with delight. He remembered supporting Chihiro when he revealed his secret, and helping Taka participate in social events. He remembered supporting Hifumi and Toko in their writing endeavors, serving as a beta reader to both of their respective works, and he loved watching their faces light up as he gave them feedback. He thought of days spent fetching tea for Celeste, only to be surprised with being one of the few people able to have the privilege of seeing her rather grumpy cat. He remembered the first time he’d gotten his fortune from Hiro, and it had been so hilariously wrong, he’d laughed about it for days, but Kyoko had gone on a whole investigation to uncover the truth, only to realize Hiro’s eccentricity was something that couldn’t be defined. He remembered the first time he’d been invited by Byakuya to tour his family’s company, and how Byakuya had finally called him a friend. He thought of Kyoko showing him her burned hands, and how she still hadn’t shown another soul. He still remembered the feeling of her hands in his. It was nice. He remembered Mukuro finally letting him into her room for the first time, telling him about her past and admitting he was her first true friend. He… he remembered Junko giving him makeovers and debating with him over _Warriors of Hope vs. Despair._

Those memories were real, Makoto thought. They were all his friends, and they were the traveling companions in Leon’s song. Makoto wondered why Junko was included in that… and why her memory felt like real friendship… even if he knew the truth behind her nature. He knew his vision of everyone coming together was possible, because they already had, in the past. His memories were proof of that. Even if it took time, the same amount of time it had taken them in the first place, he’d get them to come together again, so they’d have new memories together. How could anything truly crush that idea? 

“Hey,” Leon’s voice gently rang out. “You look better. I guess that song really worked, huh?” 

“Yeah,” Makoto said, sitting up again. “I really liked it. You’re talented, Leon.” 

Leon blushed. “I didn’t do all the work,” he said. “Sayaka and I worked on it together. Heck, I was going to sing it for Mr. Wright, Maya, and Pearl as well. In fact… you were kinda like my test audience, dude!” 

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Makoto said with a chuckle. 

Suddenly, the door tentatively creaked open. Mukuro stepped inside, looking tense, yet determined. Makoto felt his newfound calm optimism beginning to dissipate. Those memories of her began to fade and were replaced by images of her laughing while playing cards. Laughing while her sister murdered Hiro. She made her way to the two boys. 

“Kuwata,” Mukuro said. “The detention center is going to be closed soon, and I want to say a few things to Makoto. Do you mind leaving?” 

“Uh, didn’t you already come here?” Leon asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“That was with Junko,” Mukuro said. “I’m here by myself, now. Please… Leon. Let me say this, there isn’t much time.” 

“Alright,” Leon said, getting up. “I should hurry if I want to catch Mr. Wright and them anyway. Thanks for talking to me, Makoto!” 

Makoto waved goodbye as Leon left, slinging his guitar over his back as he did so. Makoto turned to face Mukuro. She looked at him with an intense gaze, but it wasn’t conflicted anymore. She looked… resigned. 

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Detention Center, Visitor’s Room

Mukuro’s Visit

“Makoto, I don’t have a lot of time to talk,” Mukuro said. “I could see it in your eyes… that you meant what you said, about having hope. You won’t see the world like Junko or me, because you have your own way-” 

“-Stop!” Makoto said suddenly. “Just stop with all of this! You… you have to know I lied for you, and I covered for you… and you… why? Why would you do something so horrible?” 

“I don’t expect you to ever understand,” Mukuro said, avoiding his gaze. “I’m sorry you had to go through this. I never wanted this.” 

“What did you want? Did you want me to have to lie to everyone I care about? Did you want to watch everyone fall apart with me tucked away somewhere?” Makoto felt tears pushing at the back of his eyes. “Mukuro… I thought we were friends.” 

“We are,” Mukuro shot back. “Which is why I came to apologize. I couldn’t talk her out of proving you wrong… about time… and people having it…” A bead of sweat rolled down Mukuro’s temple. 

“What are you talking about?” Makoto demanded, his voice beginning to shake. “What has she done? What have you done? How could you let that happen to Hiro? To Hiroko? They did nothing to you!” 

“I didn’t want this,” A hint of pain crept into Mukuro’s voice. “I couldn’t stop anything up until this point. I never hated Hiro… in fact… I found him calming, and I-I didn’t know about his mother…” Mukuro stopped and clutched her arm, her tattooed hand growing pale. “I just had to support her… but I can save everyone now. I know you have hope in me, Makoto. I-I know about the relationships you damaged to help me.” Mukuro met his gaze. “Mr. Wright. Kyoko. Komaru… Komaru is your sister. I can only imagine…” 

“You say this, yet you’re doing nothing to stop her,” Makoto said, anger creeping into his voice. “How can I have hope for you after that?! You have to know this is wrong! How did you feel when you saw Hiro dead? When you saw Hiroko break down? They did nothing to you… nothing to warrant this! I-I thought you were making friends with everyone, but you’ve just sat back and let them suffer! This isn’t about me, it’s about everyone! You… I believed in you… and it cost me everyone else!” Makoto felt a few tears slip down his cheeks, and he brushed them away. “I trusted you, Mukuro. Do you want to know what’s really crazy?” Makoto trembled, and he looked at Mukuro. “There’s a tiny part of me that still trusts you, that still has hope. I saw something in you today, something that told me you could still do the right thing.” 

“Makoto…” Mukuro’s eyes grew misty. “You still trust me, deep down. After everything… and I won’t let you down. I won’t let this continue. I’ll end this, for you… no, for everyone. I will put an end to this, and you will go free. You and her can debate your views afterward, but I was wrong. You never were an outcast in this cruel world… I am. People like you and her need to be free to balance the world, and to help save people like me. You shouldn’t be here. I’ll make sure you’ll be out of here tomorrow. I promise.” Mukuro stood up, and she looked determined. However, the hind of sadness remained in her eyes. “I just hope you’ll be able to look at me when it’s all over.”

“Mukuro,” Makoto’s voice grew sharp. “What do you mean? Why are you talking like that? What are you going to do?” 

“You… wouldn’t like it,” Mukuro said. “However, it is what I think is right. That way, both of you will be spared. You and Junko. I will do it. For both of you. It’s the only way. Someone has to… or it will have to be you. That’s the way these trials work. I read the files. I know what to say.” Mukuro began to walk towards the door, her strides rigid and determined. 

Makoto felt bile rising in his throat as he digested Mukuro’s words. The look of resignation in her eyes, the way she’d talked about saving him and Junko… Makoto felt sick. She couldn’t mean… she wouldn’t… 

“Mukuro, wait! Don’t walk away! Please!” Makoto stood up, but his legs were numb. 

“Naegi,” the guard’s voice booned from the door. “Visiting time is up! Wrap up any last words!” 

He was powerless to stop her. A divider blocked his path, and even if it wasn’t there, his numb legs and cuffed hands foiled his attempts to chase her. He pounded on the glass. Mukuro turned to face him one last time. 

“I care about you, Makoto, and I care about her just as much…” Mukuro’s cheeks were pink, and a single tear slipped down her cheek. “Tomorrow, don’t try and stop me. This is what I want. For the first time… I’ll decide my fate.” Mukuro’s eyes met his, and she managed a small smile. “Thank you… for believing in me.” She left then, closing the door behind her. 

“No! Mukuro! Don’t do this! I-I don’t want you to!” She was already gone, but Makoto yelled until his voice went hoarse. Makoto felt the guards hands on him as they led him away from the visitor’s room. “You have to let me go after her!” he cried. 

The guards shook their heads and led him from the visitor’s room. Makoto felt his legs go limp as he was led away. This couldn’t be happening. She was going to… it was the only action that she could take that benefited him and Junko. If Mr. Wright had indeed found evidence to condemn Junko, there was only one concrete way to counter it in a way that would also exonerate Makoto. Mukuro… she saw herself as expendable, while she valued him and Junko so much. It didn’t matter what he said… that’s what she believed, and she was going to reconcile her conflicting loyalties the only way she could. Makoto couldn’t stop her or tell the lawyers while he was stuck in prison, and Junko certainly wouldn’t try to stop her. If Mukuro had her way, tomorrow, she’d be in prison and he and Junko would be free. Makoto was powerless again. He was the only one who knew about Mukuro’s true intentions, and there was no one else he could tell until the trial, and by that point, it would be too late. Mukuro wasn’t going to expose the truth.

She was going to confess to the crime. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... there it is! Obviously, Makoto ironically knows something vital yet is missing out on something else that just went down. He knows a lot, yet so little. How will he fare? I guess the trial will answer that... though I can't make any promises. Hopefully, this story will finish strong, and my ideas will actually pan out! I know this chapter was pretty slow and dialogue based despite the end, but I really wanted to give Makoto and his musings their due, and I figured it would be a final breather before the final trial day occurs. Hope you guys enjoyed!


	12. Day 4-Trial Former (Phoenix)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final, ultimate trial is underway. Phoenix is prepared to face-off with Junko Enoshima... or is he? Phoenix finds himself thrown headfirst into the Ultimate Despar's mindgames, and it's sink or swim. However... the Ultimate Despair isn't ready to take the stand just yet, and her footsoldier steps up to the plate to try and stop Phoenix from reaching the truth. Will he be able to stop her and finally bring the truth to light?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO EXCITED! Anywho, I can already hear the exhasperation that this is a two parter. To that I say, a) this whole thing would be really long otherwise, and b) it just gives me another week to hold out on you guys while you curse my name, and c) everything here must come in twos after all. *Monokuma voice* double the investigation, double the intermission, double the trial, double the despair! 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys really like this chapter, I had so much fun writing it. I normally write with AA music in the background, but I wrote with DR music this time, because I think you'll see this trial has a bit more DR elements and types of speech and testimony mixed in. I'd like to think that it's symbolic of someone's long red nails finding a grip in Phoenix's world and not letting go.

May 3rd, 9:00 AM

District Court

Defendant Lobby No.2

“Hey, Nick, hurry up!” Maya pulled Phoenix past the reporters crowding the front of the courthouse and into the lobby. “Here, lemme fix your tie for you, Nick.” Maya pulled on Phoenix’s lopsided tie, straightening it into place. “Jeez, Nick. What’s up with you? You look terrible. Makoto needs us all to be at our best!” 

“Sorry,” Phoenix sighed. “I wasn’t able to get much sleep last night. I-I had this really bad nightmare that kept me up. It was about Junko.” Phoenix pursed his lips, not wanting to go into any more detail. 

Phoenix shuddered involuntarily, thinking back to his nightmare. He’d dreamt he was in the  _ Warriors of Hope vs Despair  _ show, ready to face execution at the hands of Monokuma. Only, instead of Monokuma, it was Junko sitting atop a throne, Mukuro standing silently by her side. She’d sentenced him to die, and he’d run around a maze while gavels were swung by Monokumas in judge’s robes as they tried to crush him. Each time he’d dodge a Judge Monokuma, they’d crush someone he hadn’t even realized was there. Each member of Class 78 took their turns getting crushed in front of him. Toko’s look of betrayal once again haunted him… and this time it was accompanied by screaming. Kyoko had been the only one not to scream for help, merely giving him a stony stare before meeting her fate. His suit was splattered in their blood, and he remembered it nearly suffocating him. Then his friends came. Mia. Crushed. Maya. Flattened. Pearl. Gone. Gumshoe. Killed. Edgeworth had reached for him, their hands barely managing to touch before he’d been crushed too. Mukuro then stepped into the center of the maze in a white dress. Dahlia’s dress. She had Makoto by her side, and he was wearing the same clothes he’d worn when he’d gone by Feenie. Pink jacket, face mask, naive expression. She’d smiled as she slashed Makoto with her knife. He'd crumpled to the floor as she slashed and tore at him. Phoenix remembered he’d screamed and lunged at Mukuro to protect Makoto… but he’d been far too late. Makoto was dead. He felt his fight and hope drain away as Mukuro walked towards him. He clutched at his attorney’s badge, the only thing not covered in blood. Her face morphed into Junko’s, and her dress morphed into Mia’s familiar outfit, and she’d ripped out his heart with a horrible laugh, stopping to take his attorney’s badge to pin on her own lapel. Phoenix had woken up in a cold sweat, and was unable to sleep for the rest of the night. Mukuro, Junko, they’d been Dahlia, even Mia, laughing as she’d cut Makoto to ribbons in front of him… it seemed almost prophetic. Everyone dying with him being powerless to stop it was troubling too. He couldn’t save them. 

“I-I had a nightmare too, Mr. Nick,” Pearl admitted. Phoenix could see circles behind her big eyes, which were normally teeming with innocent excitement and life. He felt guilty for not noticing earlier, as he was too hung up in his own head. “I dreamt that Mukuro had me in her arms,” Pearl said. 

“Mukuro?” Maya put her hands on her hips. 

“Yeah,” Pearl nodded. She gripped onto Phoenix’s suit, and Phoenix put a supportive arm around the tiny girl. “I dreamt that Mukuro and I were running away from this army of Monokumas coming towards us, and Junko was controlling them by pressing her hair clips. They’d already torn you up, Mr. Nick, and Mystic Maya too. Junko was after me, but Mukuro had fought a bunch of them to save me. We got to the end of a bridge, Sayaka and Usami were waiting for us on the other side. Usami looked cuddly and happy, and Sayaka’s arms were open to give us both lots of hugs. Then… Mukuro smiled and threw me across the bridge to Sayaka, and she let herself get torn up by the Monokumas. I-I saw Junko there… she was hurting Mukuro too with the Monokumas. M-Mukuro was still smiling too… they were both smiling even though Sayaka, Usami, and I were crying. It made me sad, Mr. Nick.” Pearl’s eyes pricked up with tears. “I-I didn’t want to make you or Mystic Maya worry, especially with M-Makoto counting on all of us… but did you have the same dream, Mr. Nick?” Pearl then began to cry softly, the effects of the dream showing on her tired, tear-stained face. 

Phoenix knelt down to Pearl’s level. “No, I didn’t,” he admitted. “I’m really sorry you had a bad dream Pearls, and it’s just that, a dream. In real life… the bad guys don’t win. We’ll triumph, because everyone is counting on us. Makoto especially, so we have to put on our brave faces, no matter how tired or scared we are, okay? For Makoto, and for everyone else.” Phoenix managed a small smile as Pearl gave him a soft hug, and he could feel a few drops of water fall onto his suit. Pearl wiped at her eyes, staring down at the floor. 

“Pearl, c’mere!” Maya held out her arms, and Pearl ran into them. “I don’t know why you and Nick both had crazy Junko dreams, but she does not have mind powers! After all, I was unaffected, because I dreamt about going to a carnival with Akane and she was wearing this cute kimono and… nevermind. The point is, that I’ll be here for both of you, to help keep your heads up!” Maya smiled at Phoenix as she hugged Pearl, and he smiled back. He was glad Maya was spared the nightmares, at least. “Here, Pearly,” Maya briefly fished around in her robe pocket and produced the tiny Usami figurine and handed it to Pearl. “Usami will protect you, Pearly. Usami always wins after all, and she defeated Monokuma like we’ll defeat Junko!”

“Thanks,” Pearl sniffed. “You’re the best, Mystic Maya.” Pearl placed the Usami figurine in her pocket. 

“Hey,” Maya said, letting go of Pearl. “Don’t you think it’s weird that Makoto isn’t here? Shouldn’t he-” 

“-Mr. Wright,” Byakuya’s voice cut through the air as he approached the three of them. Phoenix recoiled. He looked exhausted as well. “Y-you look awful,” Byakuya said, eyeing him with a hint of worry. “Do you already know? Prosecutor von Karma wanted me to keep an eye out for you and Makoto-” 

Phoenix raised an eyebrow in confusion. Had Byakuya had a terrible dream as well? What were the odds of that happening? “-You don’t look too good yourself,” Phoenix said. “Is something wrong? What are you talking about?” Phoenix could hear the concern in his own voice, and he looked at Byakuya worriedly. He and the heir had their differences, but Phoenix wanted to make sure he was okay. 

“Hey, where’s Mr. Edgeworth?” Pearl asked, carefully going over the syllables of Edgeworth’s name. She pointed to where the prosecution normally stood. It was just Franziska and… Mukuro? 

“Kyoko is gone too!” Maya gasped. “A-and Gumshoe!” Maya looked across the lobby, and pointed out the scattered remains of the class. Luckily, everyone else was accounted for. Byakuya opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Sayaka spotted them. Soon, the whole class’s eyes were locked on their group, and they came over en masse. 

“Mr. Wright, you’re okay!” Sayaka rushed over to their group. She looked tired and sad, and her usual pink bow that adorned her uniform was crumpled and wilted. “I-I was so worried that they'd try and kill you guys too!” Sayaka rushed and hugged Pearl, the tiny medium looking confused, but glad for the hug. 

“No kidding,” Leon said, sighing. His hair was messy and his clothes were wrinkled. “It’s fucking crazy… and you guys didn’t deseve to get caught up in this shit and-” Leon took a deep breath, and Chihiro placed his non-injured hand on his shoulder. 

“Y-you all look terrible!” Maya gasped. “I thought that Pearls and Nick were the only ones with nightmares but… did all of you dream about something?” 

Phoenix could feel an icy dread and overwhelming worry creep through him as he looked at the ultimates. Maya was right. They all looked horrible. Most of them had shabby appearances, as if they hadn’t slept; Sayaka, Leon, Mondo, Chihiro, Kiyotaka, Hina, Sakura, Hifumi, and Toko all fit this description to a T. All of them had wrinkled elements of their clothes that they hadn’t bothered to fix, Mondo’s hair was limply hanging from his head and losing its shape, Kiyotaka’s uniform was askew, Toko’s usual braids were undone and her hair fell around her face in a messy curtain, and even Sakura’s bandages were falling off, as if she’d forgotten to put on fresh ones. Or maybe she’d been too tired from the looks of it. Of course, those were only a few examples. Celeste and Byakuya looked less affected, though even they couldn’t mask the tired worry in their eyes, or the little details like Celeste’s tie being slightly crooked like his own had been, and Byakua’s suit being wrinkled, when it was impeccable every other time before. Of course, he couldn't see Mukuro, and Junko looked tired, but there was a degree of polish to her outfit that everyone else lacked. Phoenix saw Byakuya look towards Junko very briefly, with a hint of venom in his eyes. That made Phoenix nervous. What happened? And where was-

“-Nightmares?” Hina shook her head. Her ponytail drooped. “I mean I did have one… but I mean we were all together in the game room, so that’s why it was hard to sleep. I really wish it was just a nightmare. I wish this whole thing would turn out to be one big nightmare.” 

“They left before the suit found ‘im,” Mondo said. “They’re lookin’ at us like we’ve all got three heads. We should tell ‘em-” 

“-You should know that we all decided to spend the night in the game room together, to avoid suspicion and any further incidents where people would be on their own,” Kiyotaka blurted out. “It was not comfortable, but we had no choice, seeing as there were no real leads or anything-” 

“-I-it’s probably Toko,” Hifumi said, pushing up his glasses. He clutched his backpack straps and looked at the floor, hanging his head. “S-she was the only one not in the game room with us at first, and we know Mukuro was at the detention center!” 

“Stop accusing me, y-you fat d-donkey!” Toko glared at Hifumi, who shied away. “I-I showed up to the g-game room after Master got me! I was in my r-room the w-whole time!” Phoenix noted that her stutter had gotten better somehow. Was she more confident… or just more angry? 

“You are the most suspicious, yes?” Celeste countered, glaring right back at Toko. “You had the clearest chance to commit the crime.” 

“We can’t know for sure,” Sakura said softly, shaking her head. 

There was a brief silence after Sakura spoke, and no one spoke. No one from the class could really bring themselves to comment further. Phoenix saw glances fly Toko’s way, and she scowled and slumped her shoulders, as if trying to hide from the glares. Her hair formed a curtain around her face. No one wanted to truly point the finger at Toko, and Hifumi hadn’t sounded confident in his assertion, but it seemed to be the only option that everyone could consent to. Byakuya shook his head, but didn’t offer a defense. Phoenix raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“What’s going on? Didn’t we already clear Toko?” Maya asked. “Hey, where’s the Headmaster? I thought he was supposed to accompany you guys today, and he wouldn’t want you guys to fight.” At the mention of the Headmaster, everyone fell silent. No one looked at each other, and Phoenix’s heart plummeted to his feet. Maya bit her lip and looked around concernedly. “W-what did I say?” 

“As I was saying before everyone arrived,” Byakuya sighed, “Prosecutor von Karma told me to tell you three the news as soon as I saw you. Headmaster Kirigiri is in critical condition. He’s been poisoned.” 

“What?!” Phoenix cried. “How?! There were police patrolling the school and everything… how?! Why?” Phoenix felt the questions flying from his lips before he could stop them. 

Of course, he knew Junko wouldn’t answer him, but he still had to know. If she’d poisoned the Headmaster… than everyone else who was absent… Phoenix felt his heartbeat hammering in his chest. The floor began to spin, as if the carpet had been swept from under him… and it had. Junko threw him once again… and who knows how many people she’d hurt. The Headmaster wasn’t the only absence. Edgeworth… did she get to him too? Makoto? Gumshoe? Kyoko? Hiroko? Komaru? None of them were here. Nonono. Phoenix felt himself growing pale. 

“What happened?” Maya asked, her voice thin with shock. “H-how did you know it was poison?” 

“I’m not sure,” Byakuya admitted. “All I know is that-” 

“-I will explain from here,” Franziska’s voice cut through. “Mr. Togami, please observe the witness for a brief moment for me. As for the rest of you, disperse. Now.” Byakuya nodded and walked over to Mukuro. The rest of the class silently shuffled away, no doubt intimidated by Franziska’s whip and icy, no-nonsense tone. Phoenix crossed his arms. Mukuro was a witness? What could she have seen? 

“Franziska-I mean Prosecutor von Karma,” Maya said, “What’s going on? Where is everyone else? Is the Headmaster dead?” Maya glanced back at the students. “Why would Junko do this? Why is Byakuya seemingly in lock-step with you now?” Maya looked to Byakuya and Mukuro.

“Did Mukuro see something?” Phoenix asked. “C-considering what we know… how is she a reliable witness?” 

“Maya Fey, calm yourself. Your nerves are helping no one,” Franziska shook her head at Maya. “Phoenix Wright,” Franziska started, her gloved hands on her whip. Her expression was worn, yet determined. “Byakuya Togami’s information concerning the Headmaster is correct. In fact, he knows the truth of everything… as he was crucial to helping us discover vital information as well. In fact, considering that he’d helped you led little brother to trust him in the first place. When the prosecution was finishing their investigation, Miles, Detective Gumshoe, and myself stumbled upon the Headmaster in his office. He was close to death. Byakuya Togami used his connections to get Headmaster Kirigiri a priority airlift to a Togami Corporation owned hospital, and even then… his odds of survival seem slim. Byakuya has a direct line to Miles Edgeworth in the hospital, and he will update us once the Headmaster’s condition has been stabilized for better or for worse. When we investigated the crime scene… we found a teacup with trace amounts of poison inside. That is how we know what happened,” Franziska showed off a teacup that looked eerily similar to the one Celeste had thrown at him yesterday. Franziska also retrieved a list from her vest pocket and showed it to Phoenix. “During our investigation, Miles received this list of schoolwide hazards from Chihiro Fujisaki. It details that there is a chem lab on the fourth floor where an accessible selection of poisons lie. We checked it and… two poisons are missing. We just got results from our toxin match this morning, and only one matched Detective Kirigiri’s laced tea. Strike-10. The poison is said to be fatal in a large enough dose. The chem lab also had antidotes, but… the antidote to Strike-10 was missing.” Franziska’s expression hardened, and Phoenix began to sweat. Makoto…

“D-did she hurt Kyoko?” Maya asked. A sudden flash of anger sparked in Maya’s eyes. “If she poisoned Kyoko too, I’ll channel her right now and end this!” Maya glared at Junko. “I-I don’t know if Kyoko’s spirit can be reached but I’ll try-” 

“-Don’t worry,” Franziska said, shaking her head. “Detective Kirigiri lives. Detective Kirigiri is at her father’s bedside as we speak… she wanted to come here, but she felt an obligation to stay by her father’s side. She was rather… nevermind.” Franziska’s expression softened, as if she were remembering the events over again. 

Kyoko… Phoenix felt a knot in his stomach. He remembered the pain in Edgeworth’s voice when he’d talked about his own father… and he couldn’t imagine how Kyoko must feel after losing a friend, watching another be imprisoned, and now seeing her father on death’s door. Now, he wanted to be at the hospital with her, just to make sure she was alright. 

“Before you ask,” Franziska said, “Both Detective Gumshoe and my brother have elected to stay by her side, so they are alive as well. Detective Gumshoe was adamant about not leaving her side… and I was shocked to see my little brother was just as adamant. I suspect it has something to do with his own past,” Franziska clutched onto her shoulder pad briefly, as if feeling guilt for the sins of her own father. “I will be presenting for the prosecution today,” she said. “I have memorized the details of this case, and I am prepared to carry out Miles Edgeworth’s will in court. He says that I am to do anything in my power to put Junko Enoshima behind bars. He wants it done for the sake of justice, but I suspect his own personal affection for Detective Kirigiri and some of the other students is part of his motivation. I have rarely seen him so… emotional. He made me swear that I will get her on the stand somehow, and to tell you to resort to any trick necessary to make sure she is caught.” 

Edgeworth. Phoenix felt his heart hammer in his chest. Edgeworth was normally so leveled, and he’d been there the few times Edgeworth lost his cool. He could imagine his eyes narrowing, his teeth clenching, and his fists curling up by his sides as he swore to defeat Junko. Phoenix’s mind soon wandered to a more pressing matter. “The other bottle of poison…” Phoenix wiped sweat from his brow. “ What is it? D-do you think Junko could’ve used it to hurt Makoto? O-or Komaru? Hiroko?” 

“The other poison is called Hawthorn Heartache… it makes its victim waste away. It’s fatal in any dosage, but it takes time to have an affect.” Franziska looked at Phoenix and shook her head. “Don’t worry, Hawthorn is the name of one of the plants in the poison… not her. However… the antidote is missing as well. It is… unnerving.” 

“She took that other poison to mess with me, then,” Phoenix said, crossing his arms. “She had the files, and she’d know that I’d get the message from the name alone…” Phoenix felt a spike of apprehension. “Could she have poisoned Makoto?” 

“No. Makoto… or the defendant as you normally would call him has to be alive,” Franziska said. “I would have known, as Criminal Affairs has a direct line to the Detention Center. I do not know why he is late, though. As for Hiroko, I do not know how Junko Enoshima would get to her at all. It seems unlikely. However… I am unsure about Komaru.” Franziska’s eyes flashed with a sudden worry. “If Junko Enoshima is continuing to hurt those around the students instead of the students themselves… Komaru Naegi was at the school. I-If she were poisoned somehow on my watch…” Franziska suddenly glowered at Junko, her hands curling around her whip. “If Komaru Naegi is discovered to be dead, Junko Enoshima will not walk out of this courtroom in anything other than chains and humiliation. I will see to it that she is thrown into the darkest, dankest, and most confined prison cell to rot and die. Her fashion model looks will fade into obscurity and old age as she dies a hideous crone in that pit of hell. I promise you that, Phoenix Wright,” Franziska growled. 

Phoenix’s mouth was agape in shock. He’d almost never seen Franziska that furious before. Of course, she’d been angry when he’d beaten her in court, angry enough to whip him into oblivion, but this was a different kind of fury. It was a righteous fury, fueled by justice and a protective instinct. Phoenix remembered feeling a similar fury combined with worry and guilt when Matt Engarde had kidnapped Maya years ago. When he’d found the truth… he’d been terrified and furious. Is that what Franziska is feeling now?

“P-Prosecutor von Karma!” A sudden voice rang out. 

Franziska’s eyes widened, and the four followed the voice to a disheveled-looking Komaru Naegi running up to Franziska, with Hiroko and Officer Ishimaru in tow. Komaru was worried-looking, but very much alive. Komaru’s eyes were teary, and she hugged Franziska suddenly, whose face contorted with shock, as if she were unsure of what to do. Phoenix nearly smiled at it, but his heart was too clotted with worry for his lips to move. 

“Komaru Naegi,” Franziska’s lips lifted upwards in the beginnings of a smile. She hesitantly gave Komaru a light pat on the back, barely wrapping her arms around the other girl, who still clung to her, and was beginning to cry. “I am glad to see you are alright… physically,” Franziska lightly disentangled herself from Komaru’s embrace. “What’s wrong?” 

“Why would I not be okay?” Komaru asked. “Did something else happen?” Komaru’s voice came out in choked sobs. “Did something else happen to Makoto?” 

“Komaru…” Franziska shook her head. “It is nothing for you to worry about. As long as I am here, no harm will come to you. You do not need to concern yourself with trivial matters I and Phoenix Wright discuss.” 

“I do, though!” Komaru blubbered. “I-I can’t be naive anymore! That whole thing with the photo album a-and now M-Makoto…” Komaru burst into tears, unable to speak. 

“What are you talking about, Komaru?” Franziska’s voice was unusually soft.

Hiroko sighed, and placed a hand on Komaru’s shoulder, her maternal instincts already beginning to show. “Takaaki’s police radio went off… and apparently Makoto’s-well they called him the defendant- his guard crashed their car on the way over, and they might not make it in time. Apparently they’re both injured, and the police are having a hard time finding them. The guard’s radio was damaged… so his signal can’t be tracked.” Hiroko lit a cigarette. “I’d hate for the one innocent kid to go… while my son’s killer gets a free pass.” Hiroko glared at the students, who were looking in their direction and whispering. 

“If a defendant is unable to show up to a trial, then he can’t be acquitted and the case will be dismissed, despite the progress made,” Officer Ishimaru said, his face set in a grim line. “I came here to drop off Ms. Naegi and Hiroko-I mean, Mrs. Hagakure-” 

“-Takaaki, I think we’re past formalities,” Hiroko said, lighting a cigarette. “Besides, I like a man who’s thoughtful enough to think to pick up a girl in need,” Hiroko elbowed Komaru. “Takaaki insisted on pulling over to escort Komaru when we saw her at the bus stop. When we were almost here, that’s when the guard radioed in… he sounded bad.” Hiroko’s face fell. “I want my son’s killer to face justice, and they can’t get out of it. Not like this.” Hiroko’s face darkened, and her eyes sparked with hatred as she looked at the remaining students, though notably, Kiyotaka seemed to be spared from her gaze. 

“Exactly,” Officer Ishimaru said. “This miscarriage of justice won’t stand. That’s why I’m going to patrol the streets to find them. I’ll have to search every possible route, but I won’t give up.” Officer Ishimaru took out a folded map that he had in a pocket next to his holstered gun, and began to walk out. 

“W-wait, Officer!” Komaru hesitantly grabbed his hand. “I-I want to help! You’re going to need help if you’re going to find Makoto in time. I want to help my b-brother, even though I-I’m not strong enough to go through what he went through and I’m just a normal, useless, girl… I want to help look for them… please.” Komaru wiped away tears from her eyes. 

“I’ll go with you,” Hiroko said. “I don’t want to stand around, being useless. I was awful to that poor kid, this is the least I can do for him. He tried to save my son… so I’ll repay the favor… for Hiro.” Hiroko managed a small smile towards Komaru. 

“I-I want t-to help too,” Toko stuttered. Phoenix nearly lept five feet in the air out of shock. He had no idea she was standing so close. 

“It’s rude to eavesdrop, kid,” Hiroko scowled. “What do you want, anyway?” 

“P-people think I-I poisoned the H-Headmaster… I’m the o-only suspect. When the H-Headmaster was found I-I was the only one n-not in the g-game room,” Toko put her head down, and Phoenix saw Franziska raise an eyebrow. “A-after everything that h-happened yesterday with m-my testimony,” Toko briefly glared at Phoenix, “I-I remembered Makoto b-believing in me a-and seeing M-master even s-sell me out t-to h-help the c-case… I w-want to prove myself. I-I’m sick of h-hiding and b-being a suspect… and h-having to rely on y-you people to bail me o-out. I’ll help make sure O-Omaru and Mrs. Hagakure don’t get k-killed out there. The reporters will follow and h-hound them otherwise.” 

“It’s Komaru,” Komaru sighed, “But thank you! You’re so nice! You wouldn’t poison anyone!” Komaru smiled a watery smile at Toko, who blushed and scowled. “I’m really average a-and those reporters will harass me and Hiroko, so you can totally protect me with your scissors!” 

Toko looked at the ground. “T-those are still i-in evidence,” she said. “H-however… s-she should be e-enough to s-scare them off… and I brought my craft scissors anyway,” Toko trailed off again, and everyone knew who she was referring to. Jill. 

Phoenix felt bad for Komaru all of a sudden, but he figured this was better than nothing. He believed that Toko was innocent, he knew the true culprit… and despite yesterday’s trial, Toko was still an easy scapegoat, and Byakuya was too preoccupied to speak up for her. Only Celeste and Hifumi had outright accused her, but the looks on everyone’s faces hadn’t lied. Toko looked very suspicious, and Phoenix felt awful. She was probably used to something like this… but this class made it seem like even someone like her had a niche, and she was being isolated all over again. 

“That’s really great of you, Toko,” Phoenix said, giving Toko a nod. “You’re being very brave.” 

“I-I still d-don’t like you… t-that much,” Toko said, giving Phoenix a sour look. Phoenix bashfully looked away. 

“We don’t have time to waste,” Officer Ishimaru said. He pointed out several streets on the map. “I’ll take these streets,” he said. He pointed to the other side of the map. “Toko, Komaru, and Hiroko you take these ones. If any of you three find him, use the guard’s radio to tell me, and I’ll pick you up.” The three girls nodded. 

“Komaru Naegi, before you go,” Franziska held out her whip towards Komaru. “You are not useless. You can and will be able to defend yourself with this. I have seen great things from you. I have seen a little sister being strong for her brother, helping his morale and even investigating on his behalf. No one truly ordinary could pull off such a feat. You had the will to confront the reporters and other foolish fools to be present at your brother’s trial. You are better than you think you are, Komaru Naegi. You are not your brother, but you do not need to be. You are you, and that is good enough.” Franziska smiled, and it was the softest smile Phoenix had ever seen on her. “I do expect this whip back before court begins, as I am sure you will return with your brother in time.” 

“Thank you, Franziska!” Komaru grinned, tearing up. “I won’t let you down! I-If someone as cool and special as you can see something in me… I can’t let you down!” Komaru flicked her wrist, and the whip cracked with ferocity. 

“You’re a natural,” Franziska said. 

“Yeah, seriously kid,” Hiroko said. “Good job.” 

“I-Impressive, O-Omaru.” 

“It’s Komaru!” Komaru said. “And I just did the same movement Franziska did when she whipped the other students. I saw it before!” Komaru turned to face Hiroko, Officer Ishimaru, and Toko. “Let’s go save my brother, please!” Komaru said, cracking the whip again. 

“I-I feel like your little c-confidence builder would’ve been better if you hadn’t said p-please,” Toko quipped. 

“I thought it was endearing,” Officer Ishimaru said. Phoenix was surprised he of all people would think that. “Let us go.” The four left, the courtroom doors swinging in their wake. Phoenix heard yelps and an all too familiar laugh from the outside, and Franziska smirked. 

“Wow, I’d hate to be those guys,” Maya said, shaking her head. 

“Why do you have Mukuro as a witness?” Phoenix asked Franziska. “What could she have possibly seen?” 

Franziska frowned. “She says she knows the identity of the killer and plans to expose them. She says she witnessed the delivery of the Headmaster’s tea before she left for the detention center, and she says she knows that the killer is the same as the one who killed the victim. She seemed confident in her convictions. We deduced yesterday that Junko Enoshima is guilty, though we don’t yet know how she pulled this off, or why. We also believe Mukuro to be involved to a degree, but there are two things that made me hear her out… foolish as it may be. Firstly, we have an obligation to hear every witness, as Miles Edgeworth attested to when it came to Celeste. Secondly, based on the photo evidence… this witness appears to have a very genuine love for the defendant. Miles himself pointed it out. I believe that will influence her to act in his favor.” 

“What about Junko, though?” Pearl asked. “She’s her sister.” 

“That is true,” Franziska said. “However, it is a gamble we have to take. She is the closest one to the culprit, and she is close to the defendant as well. She could be the link we need to get Junko Enoshima condemned… but not knowing what she will say is a problem. As little brother would say, this is a potential kingmaker move on the chessboard, and I have to take it.” Franziska’s eyes blazed with determination, and she looked at Mukuro coldly. “Regardless, I will not be easy on her. I must get back to her now. She has proven to be rather steely despite my intimidations, so that worries me. She is unreadable as of now.” With those last words, Franziska headed back towards Byakuya and Mukuro. 

“I have a bad feeling about this, Nick, even if Franziska is right,” Maya said, crossing her arms. “It’s weird that Mukuro would want to testify now. It doesn’t make sense.” 

“Maybe it’s a diversion of some sort,” Phoenix said. “Maybe this whole car crash was planned and Mukuro’s testimony will be a wash anyway, and this was just her excuse to say she was going to come forward about something… I just don’t know. I can’t rationalize it.” 

Phoenix held his head in his hands and sighed. The amount of worry he had was giving him a headache. Time was slipping by, and if Makoto wasn’t brought to court in time, all their hard work would crumble before their eyes. That wasn’t even his main concern. He was worried sick about Makoto. That boy had been through so much, he had so much guilt and so much to make up for, and Phoenix saw himself in Makoto. He saw someone who was naive but had faced the truth without losing himself. He would still prevail, and Phoenix wanted so badly to help him across the finish line to avenge his friend and achieve justice. Makoto had a spirit Phoenix knew this world desperately needed, and he’d do anything to help him. Besides, he was a kid, a mere school student. He had friends, a crush, hopes, dreams, and a family. He’d fought so hard to preserve that sense of friendship and hope for everyone else… for Mukuro… and it was time that someone fought for him. He wouldn’t let bad luck stop him. He wouldn’t let his own trepidation and lack of sleep stop him. He wouldn’t let-

“-Hey, Wrighto.” Junko walked over to them. “I have a question for you… actually, someone else does.” Junko batted her eyelashes, and with a fluid motion, undid her ponytails. She used her clips to push her hair back into two separate strands meeting at the end, held together by her clips.. She unwrapped her tie to look like a shawl and draped it around her shoulders. She blinked at Phoenix with eyes filled with saccharine sweetness and false innocence. Dahlia’s eyes. “You remember me, Feenie?” Junko asked. 

Her voice...Phoenix felt his hands curl into fists by his side and his teeth clench. She was dead. He’d seen her banished to a spiritual realm… yet it was if she was reincarnated yet again, ready to destroy him and all he held dear. Her voice dripped with sugar and poison. Her eyes, big and innocent looking, latched onto Phoenix as he stood still, unable to move or speak. 

Junko smiled and batted her eyelashes. “You do remember, it’s written all over that dumbstruck expression of yours! Oh, Feenie! So, if you don’t mind, I have a question for little Miss Pearl Fey. Technically, wouldn’t she be my sister now?” Junko giggled in Dahlia’s sickeningly sweet way and leaned down to bop Pearl’s nose. Phoenix felt nauseous. 

“Don’t touch her,” Maya growled. “Get behind me, Pearly.” 

“You won’t get away with this,” Phoenix’s voice dripped with rage. “You won’t make Pearl do anything. Pearl won’t get near you if I can help it.” 

“No, no, no.” Junko shook her head, sighing as she played with her tie shawl. “I don’t think you understand how this works! See… the class is actually pretty happy with me right now! I helped everyone last night in the game room. I got everyone ready for court… even if their hearts really weren’t in it. I am appreciated right now, and don’t you want unity? You wouldn’t want all-out chaos, where someone could get hurt, right?” Junko glared at Phoenix, and he could imagine the butterflies dying in an anger-induced blaze. 

“No, I-I wouldn’t want that,” Phoenix said through gritted teeth. 

Junko nodded. “I was sent here to get little Pearly to sit with us in court; they’re opening the stands now. Sayaka wanted to… but I insisted. I wanted to spend some time with my little sister! Call me… Big Sis Junko-Dahlia! Hyphenated, of course.” Junko grabbed Pearl’s arm, her glossy nails digging into her upper arm. Phoenix felt the blood rushing to his ears as he glowered in anger. Junko knelt down to Pearl’s level, not letting go of her. “Now, then, you don’t want to make a scene, right, Pearly? You don’t want Big Sis Junko-Dahlia to get mad and maybe… hurt one of your friends like I hurt Mystic Maya’s Mommy? Or that nasty Godot? You want Sayaka to end up like that? Chihiro? Leon? You know… I have a friend in that hospital the Headmaster is fighting for every worthless breath in. You could kill him.” Junko’s eyes briefly clouded over with Dahlia’s familiar rage, before reverting back to the usual doe-eye. She released Pearl from her grip and held out a hand. “Or are you going to be a good little sis and sit next to me in court, and hold my hand? C’mon, Pearls. Do it for Makoto’s desire for a whole class. We can help them not fucking kill each other. You can maybe save Sayaka from a terrible accident! Who knows? If you just be good, Big Sis Junko-Dahlia will be very nice to you and our friends!” 

Maya looked at Pearl desperately. She began to move towards her. “Pearl, don’t-” 

“It’s fine,” Pearl said, her voice shaky. She moved her robe sleeve to cover up the crescent-shaped marks Junko made in her skin. “I-I don’t want to make Big Sis Junko m-mad.” Pearl turned to Junko, and placed her hand in hers. “I’ll be good. D-don’t hurt anyone. Please.” Pearl was shaking with fear, but she maintained eye contact with Junko. 

“Good choice, Pearly!” Junko used her free hand to style herself back to normal. “Now then, just call me Junko for now, ‘kay? I promise, you’ll love me like a sister by the time this is all over. Now… stop your shaking. You don’t want to blow our cover, okay? Don’t forget to look extra sweet and cute!” Junko gripped Pearl’s hand so hard it turned white, and Pearl took a deep breath to stop shaking. “Great!” Junko beamed. She puckered her lips and kissed Pearl on the cheek. Phoenix felt sick. “I’ll take you to the Monokuma Party Palace to get a new toy after this is all over. Heck, I already brought ya one! Nothing but the best for Junko’s new sister!” Junko turned towards Phoenix and Maya, both of them trembling with rage. “Now, now,” Junko tutted. “Pearly is being good, but you two better be on your best behavior, because I really don’t want to break Big Sis Junko-Dahlia’s promise to be nice to Pearly… you wouldn’t. Let’s make this last experience comfortable for her. You two aren’t idiots.” Junko waved goodbye, and headed off. Junko whispered something in Pearl’s ear, and Phoenix saw Pearl’s posture go rigid for a brief moment before resetting itself to look natural for the other ultimates.

“Pearly,” Maya’s voice wobbled with worry. “P-please be okay…” 

“Mystic Maya…Mr. Nick… I’ll be fine,” Pearl managed a fake smile, no doubt to show the other students, before she turned away and walked off, hand in hand with Junko. Her other hand was in her pocket, no doubt holding the Usami figurine to calm herself. 

“Pearls,” Phoenix rasped, worry and anger filling his heart. 

He saw red as he imagined Junko’s nails digging into Pearl’s skin, her laughter haunting Pearl’s dreams, her words cutting at Pearl’s resolve until a teary, scared mess would remain of the little girl. She was already taking collateral, and Phoenix had just let it happen. She had Pearls. He felt powerless, useless, like a failure. Makoto was out there, hurting, and he wasn’t doing a thing to help. Headmaster Kirigiri was on death’s door, and he hadn’t even known about it. Edgeworth was gone to help, and Phoenix wished he could at least help Pearl like Edgeworth was helping Kyoko. Franziska gave Komaru agency and power through the whip and he…. Dammit! 

“Maya,” Phoenix croaked desperately, the wind completely taken out of his sails. “Are you okay?” 

Maya didn’t respond, her eyes locked onto where Junko and Pearl were. Maya’s eyes were dull, the spark was gone. She looked defeated and terrified, as if she’d been gutted and the life had drained from her. She’d been the only one to avoid the nightmares, but you’d never know from looking at her now. This was her nightmare. A scenario where Pearl was beyond her protection. Pearls was smiling and playing with a Monokuma plush that Junko had no doubt brought for her, and to Phoenix’s horror, the class was laughing. Hina was playing with Pearl and Junko and Sakura was content to watch them, Chihiro and Leon were chiming as well, and even Mondo and Kiyotaka managed some smiles. Even Celeste and Hifumi seemed more at-ease, and Phoenix felt sick. None of them saw the hidden fear in Pearl’s eyes… the way her hands gripped the plush a bit too tight. Only Sayaka wasn’t playing along… she looked concerned. Please, Sayaka, Phoenix thought. Please realize what is happening, help Pearls. Somehow. 

“Everyone, please enter the courtroom. Court will be in session shortly,” the bailiff's voice rang out. 

“They’re not coming, Nick,” Maya’s voice was weak and hollow. “We lost. Junko has Pearls. Makoto isn’t here. Mukuro isn’t even testifying…” 

“We can’t give up,” Phoenix barely even got the words out. He barely believed his own words. “W-we can’t…” 

“It’s time, Mr. Wright,” Byakuya came up behind the two of them. “You both can’t look like that in there. When Makoto gets here, he’s going to need you both at your best. You look drained.” 

“What’s the point?” Maya sighed. 

“The point is that you pick apart whatever garbage Mukuro has to offer and win this case,” Byakuya glared at Maya and Phoenix. “I just came around on you both. You are fighting for the innocence of one of my only friends and the honor of the Togami Corporation. You cannot falter on me now. You have faced far worse situations, Phoenix Wright, and you will get through this!” Byakuya pointed to Phoenix as he said that, and gave his best determined expression. “I’m sorry,” he admitted. “I’m trying to sound like Makoto… in that weirdly optimistic way he speaks. I am not very good at it… and I will look out for Pearl. You have my word.” Byakuya looked at Junko, who was holding Pearl’s hand. “I see what she’s trying to do to you. Don’t let her do this. Pearl is putting herself on the line so that Junko will eventually be foiled.” 

“You’re right.” Phoenix nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. We’re going to hold out hope and fight. For Makoto and for Pearls. They’re both strong… and we have to have hope in them to hold out. We have to have hope in Komaru, Toko, Hiroko and Officer Ishimaru to find Makoto. Hope is the key to winning this case.” 

“The key is evidence actually-” Byakuya paused. “-Oh… you were trying to be sappy. Sorry again. Good luck in there, Mr. Wright.” Byakuya offered his hand to Phoenix, who gave it a tentative shake. “I believe in you… I can’t believe that myself, but I do. I believe in you as well, Maya Fey.” Byakuya offered a hand to Maya, who shook his hand as well, the beginnings of spak returning to her eyes. Byakuya then walked away into the courtroom after the rest of the students. 

“We can do this, Nick,” Maya gave him a light punch on the arm. “For everyone in the class. For Hiro, Makoto, and Pearls. We’re ending this once and for all.” 

Phoenix gave Maya a small smile. “Let’s do it. You and me… we’ll solve this case once and for all.” 

With an air of uncertainty still lingering in the air, Phoenix and Maya gave each other one last reassuring smile before stepping into the courtroom together. Phoenix took a deep breath as the doors slammed shut behind him. He didn’t feel overwhelming hope. He didn’t feel unrelenting despair either. He just felt… unsure. He had no idea what was about to happen. 

******************************************************************************

May 3rd, 10:00 AM

District Court

Courtroom No.3

Phoenix’s first thought was immediately to look for Pearl in the stands. Maya must’ve had the same thought, because he saw her head turn towards the stands behind them in a flash. Phoenix saw Junko leading Pearl to a seat on the end of the bench, where she’d be cut off from the rest of the class, but before she could, Sayaka swooped in and grabbed Pearl’s free arm. 

“Hey, Pearly, didn’t you say you were going to sit by me today?” Sayaka gave Pearl her best smile, and gave her hand a little squeeze, as if to try and reassure her. “Let’s sit together, and you can still sit with Junko, because I-I know that she really made you happy with that toy.” Sayaka smiled at Junko, and Junko smiled back. Both of them were such naturals at putting on another face, Phoenix could hardly tell that both smiles were fake. 

Junko, forced to admit defeat in a silent way, allowed Sayaka to take the end seat, then Pearl, then Junko herself, who was forced between Pearl, and Mondo of all people, who’d come in surprisingly early compared to everyone else. Mondo came up to the three and was saying something to Pearl that made the little medium smile, so Phoenix was grateful for that at least. He continued talking and the other three seemed to be listening closely. Of course, Phoenix could see a thin veil of annoyance surrounding Junko, as Pearl feeling better probably wasn’t part of her plan. He strained to listen closer.

“Mondo, do you really have to tell Pearly about your dead dog and dead brother right now?” Junko rolled her eyes at Mondo. “She’s probably really nervous and talking about the dead isn’t helping.” Junko wouldn’t let go of Pearl’s arm. 

“I was just tryin’ to make her feel better,” Mondo protested. He glared at Junko.“This shit has to be hard for her. She’s a damn kid. Chill. Besides… Chuck was awesome, and you better not talk any shit like that about my brother-.” 

“-I liked the story,” Pearl said quickly. “It did make me feel better. I wish I had a brother and a dog now too. I have a sister… but she’s not very nice.” 

“But Maya is pretty damn cool and I was gonna even tell ya about how she helped me out with my brother,” Mondo crossed his arms, briefly glancing towards Maya, who gave him a small wave. “Whaddya mean about her not bein’ nice?” 

“Mystic Maya isn’t my sister, she’s my cousin,” Pearl explained. She looked at Junko’s hand, still resting in hers, with worry. “It’s uh… not important. Thanks for being nice anyway, Mondo! Even if you use words I can’t say!” Pearl gave him a cutesy, but fake smile. She looked nauseous, and Phoenix couldn’t blame her.

Mondo, unfortunately, didn’t pick up on Pearl’s underlying message, instead grinning back at her. “‘S no problem Pearl. I owe you Feys a lot anyway.” 

“Aw, that’s sweet,” Sayaka smiled, trying to alleviate the remaining wisps of tension to placate Junko. “Mondo’s a softie.” 

“Shut the hell up!” 

Pearl giggled, and even Junko laughed as Mondo rolled his eyes and blushed. 

“She tried to tell him,” Maya sighed. “Pearly is so smart… and she really tried. Mondo said he’d help me whenever he could… there’s no doubt Pearl knows that he’d try to save her from whatever Junko’s planning, and that he’s strong enough to take Junko.” Maya frowned. “Though… I think she realized it would be chaos if that did happen, so she backed off.”

“Pearl still has Byakuya and Sayaka,” Phoenix said, placing a hand on Maya’s shoulder. “Don’t forget. Sayaka must have sensed something… I can tell. She, uh, isn’t the ultimate psychic for nothing.” 

“I’m not in the mood for jokes right now, Nick,” Maya frowned. 

Phoenix sighed as well, his shoulders slumping. Normally, Maya was the one pumping him up, but now she was too worried and scared to even do that. Junko knew Maya loved Pearl more than anything… and she’d use that to crush Maya’s fighting spirit, Phoenix realized with horror. He loved Pearl too, but Maya’s love for Pearl was protective, familial, and eternal. It was at the core of her being, and it was like Junko had cut out Maya’s heart. Whatever anger, hurt, worry, or desperation Phoenix felt over Pearl, he knew Maya was feeling it tenfold. 

The rest of the class filed onto the same bench as Sayaka, Pearl, Junko, and Mondo. Chihiro, Leon, Sakura, Hina, and Taka all filed in, taking their seats in that order. Chihiro was typing into Alter Ego rapidly, probably trying to update the program with the information from previous trials, lest it offer up new evidence. Leon was crowding around the computer as well, but he looked rather confused whenever Chihiro would point something out. Maybe Alter Ego could still be helpful, Phoenix thought. Taka, Hina, and Sakura were discussing something rather intently among the three of them, though Hina and Taka did most of the talking. That didn’t surprise Phoenix at all, considering what he knew about Sakura’s personality. Phoenix couldn’t help but find Sakura’s calm demeanor somewhat reassuring. At least he knew she would remain calm throughout the trial. 

Celeste, Hifumi, and Byakuya didn’t sit with the rest of them, and they took spots in the row above, Celeste probably wanted her own space and probably wasn’t on great terms with the class, Hifumi followed out of servitude, and Byakuya was keeping an eye on Pearl and Junko like he’d promised. At the very least, Sayaka and Byakuya were clued in to an extent about Pearl despite her attempt to solicit help from Mondo’s brute strength, Phoenix thought. Still, he was uneasy. What was Junko planning?

Phoenix took a brief look to the other side of the courtroom. Franziska was looking through files anxiously, occasionally muttering to herself. Her hands gripped the papers tightly, as if she were trying to substitute the papers for her whip. She must be used to not having it at her side, Phoenix reasoned. Hiroko and Officer Ishimaru’s spots were vacant, and the most glaring vacancy of all was the defendant’s chair, where Makoto should have been sitting. Looking at the empty chair, then looking at Mukuro taking the stand made his heart race with fear. Phoenix felt like he was walking into a trap, but he couldn’t yet see what the trap was. Mukuro’s eyes were locked on the empty defendant’s chair, and Phoenix saw a bead of sweat roll down her temple. She wiped it away with a gloved hand. Why would she be wearing gloves… Mukuro’s eyes shifted to the stands, where she looked briefly at Junko… no, she was looking at Pearl. Pearl?

“She looks worried, Nick,” Maya said. “She’s looking at Pearly for some reason and she looks… worried. Does she know that Junko is planning to do something?” Maya’s expression was growing more fearful. “Did she know about everything Junko did? She helped Pearl yesterday… and she even looked at Makoto’s spot with worry… I feel like I’m missing something about her, Nick. Something feels really wrong.” 

“Yeah,” Phoenix agreed. “She’s so… inconsistent. One minute she’s in love with Makoto and showing concern for Pearl, the next minute she’s covering for Junko and being an accomplice to murder. I-I don’t know why. There’s something we’re not seeing.” 

Phoenix looked up at the clock, and his heart hammered with dread as the Judge walked into the courtroom. He exchanged worried looks with Franziska, and glanced towards the courtroom doors, which remained closed. Maya was rigid next to him, staring at the doors with tense anticipation. 

“Order, order!” The Judge looked at the defendant’s chair. “I see that the defendant… is not here. I must inform the court that a defendant’s failure to arrive for their trial will result in the case being dismissed. As it is time for court to begin, I am afraid I have no choice but to-”

“-No!” Phoenix’s eyes widened in shock as Hina stood up from her seat in the benches. “Please, wait! Makoto is almost here, I just know it! Give him some time!” 

“I agree,” Sakura stood up as well. “Makoto will arrive soon. Let us have hope in that.” 

“He would not fail to show up to his own trial! It would be a miscariage of justice to let this trial go because of Makoto’s unusual tardiness!” Kiyotaka stood as well. 

“We’re not going to let you throw out this trial!” Leon stood up. “Makoto’s been through too damn much for us to give up on him and let his case die!” 

“Y-yeah! We’ll wait for Makoto!” Hifumi stood up from the second row. 

“Very well, I shall voice my protest to this egregious rule as well,” Celeste said, smoothing out her dress as she stood. 

“We won’t let you convict our friend like this!” Chihiro cried, standing up. 

“No fuckin’ way this’ll stand!” Mondo stood up too. 

“We as a class can’t accept this, Your Honor!” Sayaka stood up. “Makoto is so close to being proven innocent!” 

“Class seventy-eight of Hope’s Peak Academy lodges a formal protest in this courtroom,” Byakuya said, rising as well. “We will not stand down unless Makoto’s trial is allowed to continue.” 

“I agree,” Mukuro said from the witness stand as well. “I will not speak unless Makoto is promised a fair trial at whatever time he arrives.” 

Phoenix was floored. The ultimates were standing strong in protest, despite everything. Junko and Pearl were standing silently as well, though Pearl was no doubt being forced into silence. Still, Junko’s eyes flashed with displeasure, and Phoenix saw that she was being beaten right now. By Makoto. Makoto was bringing them together, even if he wasn’t here to see it. Phoenix felt lighter all of a sudden. As if the fog of despair surrounding the courtroom was beginning to dissipate. All of the hope radiating from the class as they stood strong for Makoto made Phoenix believe that there really was light at the end of the tunnel. Somehow, things could be okay again, just like Makoto believed. This… this is what Makoto believed in, and what he was fighting for, Phoenix thought. He understood now. 

“The defense objects as well, Your Honor!” Phoenix slammed his hand on the desk and turned towards the Judge. “My defendant was in a car crash earlier, and it is unfair to penalize him because of bad luck! My defendant is kind, smart, and brave, and he is innocent! I won’t give up, and I’ll fight for him no matter what the rules say!” 

“Mr. Wright,” the Judge said, shaking his head. “I really don’t have a vendetta against Mr. Naegi, and I do want to see his trial through. However, if he doesn’t show up soon, I will be forced to end the trial. I do not want to have a protest on my hands… so I will wait a few minutes.” 

“Thank you, Your Honor,” Phoenix said. “I promise, Makoto is being searched for as we speak. I trust the people searching for him… and I trust Makoto. If anything… he has luck on his side.” 

Before the Judge could respond, the courtroom doors flung open with a commanding force, the walls shuddering at the impact made. Makoto came running in, his left arm was bandaged with a red ribbon, and his cheeks scraped with cuts. He also had a similar red ribbon bandaging his right hand. Komaru (still holding the whip), Toko, Hiroko, and Officer Ishimaru came in after Makoto. Both of the ribbons that normally adorned Toko and Komaru’s shirts were missing, and Phoenix realized they’d been used to help patch up Makoto. 

“Your Honor, I’m sorry I’m late, but please don’t stop the trial!” Makoto shouted. “I’m here now! Everyone here worked so hard to make sure I was alright and got me here as fast as possible!” 

“Yeah!” Komaru said, cracking the whip in the Judge’s direction. “You have to let my brother finish his trial! O-or… I’ll whip you!” 

“I-I don’t know w-why everyone else is standing,” Toko said, looking towards her classmates, who were all giving her confused looks. “B-but I-I’ll stand with them too.” 

“Your Honor, please,” Hiroko pleaded. “My son’s true killer is here today, and it is not this boy.” Hiroko placed a hand on Makoto’s shoulder, and he smiled at her. She smiled back wearily. “He deserves a chance to defend himself.” 

“Thank you all,” Makoto looked at the four gratefully. “You all really helped me.” 

“Alright,” the Judge sighed. “Mr. Naegi will have his day in court. Everyone, please be seated in your proper spots so this trial can finally begin.” 

“I wonder if this is good luck or bad luck, Nick,” Maya said. “It’s good luck that he made it, but the crash was terrible luck. He’s lucky… but is it good luck or bad luck?” 

“I have no idea,” Phoenix admitted. “I’m just glad he’s here, though.” 

Phoenix sighed in relief, and he saw the ultimates smiling and sighing as well, each of them giving Makoto small smiles. However… Mukuro looked relieved too, and that confused Phoenix. Komaru walked over to Franziska’s desk and handed back the whip, and Franziska gave Komaru a small smile as she took it back. Komaru smiled as well and headed to sit in the second row, and she dragged Toko there with her. The class gave whispered thanks and apologies to Toko, who blushed behind her messy hair and sat next to Komaru, who was next to Byakuya. Hiroko and Officer Ishimaru took their places on the other side of the courtroom. Makoto walked up to the defendant’s chair, but when he locked eyes with Mukuro on the stand, he went pale. His eyes flitted to the stands, no doubt looking for Kyoko, only to find nothing, and Makoto’s former spark began to diminish right in front of Phoenix. Phoenix wasn’t sure what do do, or what to say to Makoto now that the Judge was-

“-Mr. Wright!” Makoto’s voice rang out in desperation. He stood up in the defendant’s chair. “W-where’s Kyoko? What happened?” Makoto’s voice was shaking with distress, and the other ultimates began to murmur with worry. Makoto took a shaky breath. “Please, you have to get Mukuro off the stand! She can’t testify-” 

“-Mr. Naegi, you will remain silent!” The Judge pounded his gavel and shook his head. He looked at Makoto with irritation. “You nearly miss your own trial, and your outbursts have gotten to the point where you can’t go without one! I’m afraid that one more misstep from you will have you in contempt of court, and it will be a heavy penalty for the defense.”

“-OBJECTION!” Phoenix cried, looking at the distress in Makoto’s face. “Shouldn’t we hear what the defendant has to say about the witness-” 

“-OBJECTION!” Franziska cried, whipping the desk. “Phoenix Wright, you cannot silence the witness. No matter what the defendant’s qualms with her are… even if they are for good reason, we must hear her out.” Franziska turned towards Mukuro with the steely determination of a woman who has made up her mind. “Witness, let us get started with no more delays.” Franziska whipped the desk again. “Name and school year. Now!” 

“I’m Mukuro Ikusaba, the ultimate soldier. I am in my final year at Hope’s Peak Academy.” Mukuro looked at Franziska, pointedly ignoring Makoto’s gaze. Phoenix felt his heart hammering against his ribcage. Something happened between the two, he realized. Makoto knows something he desperately wants to say but… how can I get the Judge to side with us now, Phoenix thought. 

“This witness will testify about yesterday’s incident at the academy concerning its headmaster,” Franziska said. “Your Honor… defendant… yesterday, the Headmaster was poisoned and Miss Ikusaba claims she saw this killer, and they are the same killer from the Hagakure case.” 

“The Headmaster of the school was poisoned?” The Judge’s eyes widened in shock. “That’s terrible! Now that you mention it… where is Prosecutor Edgeworth? Not that I don’t appreciate you and your whip, Prosecutor von Karma.” 

Makoto slumped in his seat, his eyes wide with shock and his face pale. He looked around the class in a desperate frenzy, sweat beginning to bead at his forehead as he no doubt feared the worst as he put the pieces together. Most of them gave him guilty looks, avoiding his gaze. Only Junko looked him in the eyes, adjusting her Monokuma clips as she did so. 

“No…” Makoto’s voice was barely a whisper. “Kyoko… what have I done?” Makoto looked shattered, and Phoenix felt his own heart beginning to drop. “Kyoko…” Makoto said, louder this time. “I-is she alive? I have to know…. Please!” 

“She’s alive, Makoto!” Maya burst out. “She’s at the hospital with Edgeworth and Gumshoe, and the Headmaster isn’t dead yet! I-I can’t stand to see you like this! I-it’s hard enough with-” Maya put a hand to her mouth and her eyes grew misty. 

“Thank you… for telling me,” Makoto said softly. 

The Judge banged his gavel. “Order! I can gather that Prosecutor von Karma is filling in for Prosecutor Edgeworth until he returns… if he does. I am sorry to cut this short… but we must get to the witness’s testimony!” 

“No-” Makoto started, but stopped as the Judge’s hand curled around his gavel. 

“Witness,” Franziska said, “You will tell us about what you saw-” 

“-I can’t.” Mukuro’s gaze burned with icy intensity, and her words formed sharp daggers. “I lied to you, Prosecutor. I just needed to be sure I got on the stand. I think it is time to end this trial… I admit to all of it. I killed Yasuhiro Hagakure and poisoned Headmaster Kirigiri.” 

Phoenix inhaled sharply. She’d… confessed? Phoenix locked eyes with Makoto, and his devastated gaze said it all. This was what he was trying to prevent, and if he hadn’t suffered a severe stroke of bad luck, he might’ve been able to do that. The crash prevented Makoto from telling Phoenix the truth… until now, and it was far too late. Mukuro was going to take the fall for Junko, and she’d get away with everything. Of course, she was helping Makoto too… but not in the ideal way. Franziska said that Mukuro’s love for Makoto would cause her to act in his favor, but Pearl reminded them of Junko’s influence too. This must be her version of making amends to both of them, Phoenix thought with horror. The case had just been derailed yet again, and he’d failed to stop it. Makoto had to have tried as well, but he’d failed too. Mukuro’s words couldn’t be taken back. The class was silent, all of them were stunned into silence. Phoenix could see the despair and heartache etched into their faces. All but hers. 

“I knew something was wrong,” Maya said. She crossed her arms. “Nick… why would she do this?” 

“W-what?!” Franziska’s eyes widened, and she held her whip in the air. “You’re confessing?! Do not take me for a fool!” 

Franziska’s whip flew at Mukuro, but it never met its target. The courtroom grew silent as they saw the end of the whip in Mukuro’s clenched fist. She’d caught it. Franziska’s eyes were wide with shock, and she was frozen, completely caught off guard. Phoenix let out an involuntary gasp as Mukuro held the whip in her hand. 

“I am the ultimate soldier,” Mukuro said, her voice remaining level. “I can defeat anyone in this school. I can conquer any weapon, I can take life with ease. I have the perfect talent for committing this crime. Now, take my confession, Prosecutor, and be done with it. You have your criminal, and Makoto will be free.” Mukuro, still holding the whip, turned to Phoenix. “You won, Mr. Wright.” Mukuro released the whip, and Franziska stumbled to retract the whip, which now hung limply by the floor. 

“You… why did you choose to confess?” Franziska’s whip now hung defeatedly by her side, but her fire was still lingering. Her eyes were sharp in icy fury. 

“I just wanted this to end,” Mukuro said. “Isn’t that reason enough?” 

“Why wait until now?” the Judge asked. “If you wanted a swift end then-” 

“-It doesn’t matter,” Mukuro glared at the Judge. “I have a confession. Shouldn’t that be good enough?” 

“I-I suppose that is true…” the Judge looked hesitant. “The, erm, culprit may give her confession.” 

“OBJECTION!” Phoenix cried. “We have evidence saying that Miss Ikusaba-” 

The Judge pounded on his gavel. “Mr. Wright, I will hear this confession. Your defense has already been quite erratic. Any further pushback will grant an immediate penalty.” The Judge turned to Mukuro. “Your confession, Miss.” 

“We want details, at least,” Franziska interrupted. “The court will not hear this confession unless it is detailed and fits with the evidence we have.” 

Mukuro nodded. “It will. I killed Yasuhiro Hagakure on the night of April twenty ninth, Friday night to be precise. Earlier, I’d stolen some scissors from Toko and planted a tarot card I’d taken from Yasuhiro on Celeste. Then, I prepared my knife along with the scissors.” Mukuro gestured to the knife in the court record. “Then, I carried out the murder. I killed Yasuhiro with the crystal ball, knife, and scissors. Then, I disposed of my gloves and scissors in the gymnasium trash, in a hoodie I’d borrowed from Makoto, and I was seen by Celeste and Toko. Still… I then poisoned the Headmaster as well yesterday, by bringing him tea laced with poison from the chem lab. That’s all. My confession. This trial is over.” 

“Your motive makes no sense,” Franziska shook her head. She held her whip above her head. “I said I wanted detailed testimony-” 

“-You want a motive?” Mukuro’s fists clenched at her sides, and she looked briefly at Makoto. Her gaze softened, before she turned to Franziska with a renewed fury. “I’ll give you a motive,” she growled. “I’m the ultimate soldier. I want death and despair. Life is a combat ground for me, and I wanted everyone else to know the pain I have endured. I’m not like any of these other students. Their weakness makes them easy targets for me. Yasuhiro was weak. The Headmaster was weak.” 

“Why would you poison the Headmaster?” Franzksia’s eyes narrowed. “Why bother?” 

“I just said it, are you deaf?” Mukuro’s voice was laced with frustration. “Headmaster Kirigiri was a weak man with his head in the clouds. He thinks all of us ultimates believe in hope and will change the future. I wanted to show him for the naive fool he is. Not all ultimates are brimming with hope. I am filled with despair, and in his last moments, I wanted him to glimpse despair. His life was a pedestal to prop up my message,” Mukuro’s voice was laced with contempt. 

Phoenix looked at Mukuro. Her eyes told a different story than her tone. She almost looked… conflicted. Makoto glared at Mukuro, but he could see disbelief in Makoto’s eyes as well, as if he didn’t believe Mukuro could say such things. The rest of the class was silent with horror, and even Franziska looked at a loss of what to say. 

“Those don’t even sound like her words, Nick,” Maya said. “Mukuro doesn’t talk like that.” 

“Maybe that’s what Junko told her,” Phoenix said. “Maybe she’s acting as a sort of mouthpiece… but I don’t know for sure.” Phoenix placed a hand on his chin. 

“How dare you,” Hiroko growled from the stands, glaring at Mukuro. “How could someone treat a life with such little respect-” 

“-You’re weak too,” Mukuro said. Phoenix noticed she wasn’t looking Hiroko in the eyes. She couldn’t, Phoenix realized. “It wasn’t personal with Hiro,” Mukuro said. “He was just easy and weak. Perfect for proving my point… they aren’t my friends.” Mukuro looked at the stands, and Phoenix could see her posture tense up as she felt the betrayal stemming from her classmate’s stares. She looked at Junko… and her gaze softened for a mere moment. She hardened again, facing the courtroom. “They’re weak… and it disgusts me. They need to know my despair.” 

“T-this has been a harrowing testimony,” the Judge said. “However, if no one can refute it-” 

“-The defense has the right to cross-examine, Your Honor! We believe that this confession is a lie, and we intend to prove it! The defense won’t rest until we have the true culprit!” Phoenix slammed his hands on the table, and the loud sound reverberated across the silent courtroom. Everyone looked shocked and drained, too drained to even speak. Phoenix wasn’t, though. This was his job. 

“She confessed,” he heard Hina whimper from the stands. “W-why would Mr. Wright drag this out? I-it can’t be anyone else now…”

“I don’t want it to be anyone else,” Chihiro said shakily. “I don’t even want it to be Mukuro.” 

“Does she really think that about us?” Sayaka’s voice was laced with concern. “That we’re weak… and we’ve never known hardship?” 

“No,” Mukuro growled, turning Phoenix’s attention back to the stand. “This is over-” 

“-I beg to differ,” Franziska said. “I will allow the defense to cross-examine you. If you are telling the truth, you should have no trouble answering these questions.” 

Franziska glared at Mukuro, both of them exuding contempt and determination. The atmosphere turned icy under their glares, and it was as if the courtroom was freezing over. Maya let out an involuntary shiver next to him. Phoenix gave Makoto a brief nod. Don’t worry, he thought, we’ll fight for your beliefs. We’ll fight for the truth. Makoto gave him a nod back, as if to say he got the message. Phoenix saw Maya give a brief glance at Pearl in the stands, who was holding the hands of Junko and Sayaka. Just a bit more, Pearls, Phoenix thought. You’re almost free from her. 

“Earlier in your confession, you said that you were seen by Celeste and Toko,” Phoenix gestured to a transcript of Celeste’s testimony. “However, Celeste’s testimony clearly states that she didn’t see the face of the hooded figure disposing of evidence, hence why she thought it was the defendant. You’d have no way of knowing Celeste saw you, as your back would’ve been turned to her!” 

“That was information I was filling in from previous trials,” Mukuro countered. “I wasn’t aware Celeste saw me either, until she mentioned it in her testimony. She hadn’t come forward until then… so I didn’t know. I was lucky I didn’t turn around.” 

“You’re the ultimate soldier,” Phoenix countered. “Surely you could’ve heard her footsteps-” 

“-OBJECTION!” Franziska whipped the desk. “That hardly seems relevant, Phoenix Wright. That is largely speculative and not at all likely to reveal anything. It is a useless line of questioning.” 

“I agree, Mr. Wright,” the Judge said. “There is no way for us to truly determine Miss Ikusaba’s hearing skills without taking a lengthy health exam or cleaning the wax from her ears.” 

Damn it! Phoenix took a breath, giving Franziska a pointed look. Franziska returned it, shaking her head. Of course, Franziska was acting on Edgeworth’s accord, but old habits die hard, Phoenix thought. There was a very small spark in Franziska that would perform her role as a winning prosecutor, regardless of knowledge. Though… maybe that was her way of telling Phoenix to press other things. 

“You also say you ran into Toko,” Phoenix said, taking Toko’s testimony out. “However, Toko’s only memory is of the bloody hoodie and something black and white. How would you fit that description? You had nothing black and white.” 

“I think she saw the mask I was wearing,” Mukuro said. “I picked it up at a costume store. It’s a cartoon bear, but it has no significance to me. I merely chose it because it was cheap, and that’s what Toko must’ve seen before she fainted. I knew blood would take her out.” 

“You were expecting to see Toko?” Franziska raised an eyebrow. 

“No,” Mukuro admitted. “I just figured with the blood on my clothes, I could still get by her. She was the only one in my way at the time.” 

“Why didn’t you kill her?” Phoenix pressed. 

“No point,” Mukuro said. “Yasuhiro was my target. Anything else would be a waste of time, and time was my goal. I was efficient and precise. No extra mess.”

“This cartoon bear, it was Monokuma, correct?” Phoenix took out the Monokuma mask fragments. “We found this in the gymnasium trash. I don’t think this was a coincidence, considering what kind of message Monokuma stands for.” 

“I’m telling you, it is. Monokuma was a convenient choice, that’s all. You’re right in that that was the mask I used, but its proximity was the only factor. I go for an easy choice, not any complicated ones. These questions are hypothetical bullshit,” Mukuro glared at Phoenix. “You’re grasping here.” 

“I’ll keep going until you tell the truth, and I’ve noticed something concerning your implications to the scene” Phoenix returned her stony gaze, though he had to admit the ultimate soldier intimidated him. “Miss Ikusaba, you referred to the knife in your testimony as, ‘your knife’. Why?” Phoenix asked. 

“It’s my knife,” Mukuro answered succinctly. “It is a survival knife common among soldiers. It is my weapon of choice. In fact-” Mukuro undid the lower buttons of her shirt. 

“Miss Ikusaba!” The Judge blushed. “That’s hardly appropriate-” 

Mukuro rolled her eyes and pointed to a sheath hidden under her now undone shirt. “This is the sheath for the knife,” Mukuro took the knife from evidence and placed it inside. “This fits perfectly. It’s mine. I am linked to this crime, and I’d guess your grievance was that I wasn’t.” 

Phoenix shook his head. “That wasn’t my point, but you proved it anyway, Miss Ikusaba,” Phoenix placed his hands on his hips. “You are implicated. After taking care of disposing of the scissors, the killer left the knife behind. Now, you’re a professional. You’ve made that point clear so far. You wouldn’t have made an ametuer mistake like that… unless you wanted to implicate yourself. Everything here was intentional. After all, we dismissed the possibility of Toko Fukawa’s involvement precisely for the same reason you’re incriminating yourself. The killer-” 

“-Stop saying that,” Mukuro glared at Phoenix, her fists clenched by her sides. “Stop saying the killer. It’s me.” 

“Then why would you bother framing two separate people just to use your own knife?” Maya asked.

Mukuro gave Maya a cool gaze. “As for the knife… it wasn’t ideal, but I had limited options with my timeframe. I felt like it was the best possible weapon for me to use with limited time-” 

“OBJECTION!” Phoenix cried. “That statement is just plain false. According to a list that the prosecution provided,” Phoenix held up the list that Franziska had shown him, “There are an abundance of deadly objects at the school that you could’ve used and had easy access to. There are similarly sharp tools in the nurse’s office, there are dumbbells in the gym, for instance. Besides, didn’t you just say that you’re the ultimate soldier, and that you can conquer any weapon? Short notice isn’t an excuse for you. You wouldn’t be an ultimate otherwise. In fact, you’ve been referencing your ultimate status a lot in your testimony. You’re using it as a crutch, and now you’re trying to downplay it now that it doesn’t fit the narrative.” 

Mukuro’s fists curled up, and she glared at Phoenix. “What are you-” 

“-I agree,” Franziska said. “You caught a flying whip. I do not doubt you could’ve handled any weapon… after all, you seem to know your way around poisons just fine… and poisons do not strike me as a soldier’s weapon.” 

“Those poisons are labeled,” Mukuro said. “It isn’t hard. I-I just chose my knife because I liked it… and I wanted to implicate Makoto at first by making him pick it up and get his prints on it!” A single bead of sweat rolled down her temple. “I am ending this, so take my confession!” 

“There were other weapons that could’ve easily been picked up with prints,” Phoenix pressed. 

“I was sure my knife would catch the attention of Makoto when he entered the room,” Mukuro countered. “I wanted to make sure he’d touch it, and something like a dumbbell might get dismissed as workout equipment, or the nurse’s office scalpels might be too tiny for him to notice.” 

“Why would you now confess if your goal was to implicate Makoto?” Phoenix pressed, moving on to a different point. “You have him right where you want him… and if he was your true goal-” 

“-I didn't mean to implicate anyone in particular,” Mukuro said quickly. “I just wanted someone to pick up the knife. That was my risk. I have no alibi… that was my oversight. The trials kept on showing other slip-ups I made as well. I knew I was going to be caught eventually, so I decided to go on my own terms. Like this.” 

“Why didn’t you prepare an alibi?” Franziska asked. “Surely, if you were planning this crime, you would have, yes? The more we talk, the more foolish you seem, covering up your tracks like a foolish fool, not a soldier. Phoenix Wright is right in that you use your talent to justify any weak points in your testimony, then try and reject it entirely when it becomes the weak point.” Franziska whipped the desk. “I demand you testify about your planning process for this crime!” 

“I would like testimony as well,” the Judge said. “I find myself concerned by the… distress of the defense about Miss Ikusaba’s supposed guilt. There are points that don’t quite fit.” 

“Mr. Wright,” Mukuro looked right at Phoenix. She didn’t look angry, he realized. She almost looked desperate. “Do you not want Makoto to go free? Why are you prolonging this? You won! Stop this!” 

“I won’t win until the true culprit is caught,” Phoenix responded. “After all, I’m after the truth, and Makoto is too. He’s my client, and I intend to fight for him, and I know this is what he’d want.” Phoenix looked at Makoto briefly, and a faint smile played at his lips. Phoenix looked at Mukuro, whose face seemed slightly paler. “You know that too. Don’t you?” 

“No,” Mukuro said sharply. “I don’t. I don’t think you know what’s good for everyone, for Makoto. I’ll show you the truth.” Mukuro took a deep breath. “For the crime… I wanted to prove a point to my classmates, who never understood me. They were scared of me, because I represented a dark, battle hardened truth, that even people like them could easily take life and fall to despair. They shunned me, and for that, I wanted them to see. I plotted to take one of them out, and I was invited to a study session with Yasuhiro and Makoto, and I knew that was the perfect time to strike. It was a Friday night, and no one would be by the dorms, as they all had activities planned. I lured out Makoto to the gymnasium with a note promising to return a hoodie I’d borrowed from him. That left Yasuhiro open to attack; it had to be him. I also planted water bottles in the gymnasium to clean the bloodied hoodie earlier in the afternoon in an easy to retrieve location. Then, I used the camera blind spots to avoid detection and dispose of evidence.” Mukuro took the dormitory layout and pointed out the path she took to the gym. “During that time, I never considered an alibi,” she said.

“You said you planted these water bottles in an easy location,” Franziska said. “Point out where exactly you hid them.” 

“I hid them under the bleachers,” Mukuro said. 

Franziska whipped the desk and held her whip above her head. “How come the prosecution’s investigation uncovered these four bottles in separate corners of the gym, then?” 

“After the crime was committed, I moved the empty bottles around, so they wouldn’t be linked,” Mukuro said with a frown. Her eyebrows furrowed, as if she were caught off guard. 

“Nick, this is rather contradictory,” Maya said, shaking her head. “Mukuro said she’s all about efficiency, but taking the time to scatter the water bottles just seems like a waste!”

“You’re right,” Phoenix said. “I wonder if Franziska is trying to show that.” Phoenix turned to Mukuro. “Miss Ikusaba, you had time to hide these water bottles in different locations, why not use that time for something more productive, like shredding the hoodie along with the gloves?” Phoenix took the Security DVD out of evidence. He popped it in a small television near the evidence table and pressed play. He fast forwarded until Mukuro was on screen. “Why did you bother to wear that jacket instead of discarding it? That would’ve been the ideal move, and you wouldn’t have had to worry about the bottles in the first place!” 

“Celeste would’ve seen me! O-or Toko!” Mukuro countered. “I had to keep the jacket on while I disposed of evidence. I kept it because I thought the fabric would draw too much attention if I tore it up, as there would be a lot more of it than the gloves.” 

Phoenix shook his head. “You said Celeste or Toko would’ve seen you, but at the time, you would’ve already taken out Toko through fainting, and you would’ve never even seen or known about Celeste! You have no excuse!” Phoenix slammed his hands on the desk. “Your methods make no sense and your reasoning is full of holes! There are many points of the crime that don’t add up when you implicate yourself as the mastermind!” 

“That’s just a minor technicality!” Mukuro said, slamming her fist to the desk. “It wasn’t a perfect plan, but it was what worked best with my outline! It had to be Hiro, as he was the main choice, and every step afterwards wasn’t a guarantee. I’m not the ultimate lucky student, you know!” 

Franziska narrowed her eyes, and shifted through her papers. “You said that Yasuhiro was the only option, yet according to alibis, Miss Fujisaki was also unprotected in her room by herself. You could’ve easily killed her instead.”

“That’s not true!” Chihiro himself jumped up from his seat in the stands. His eyes were already watery. “Mukuro… you wouldn’t! I-I don’t know what you’re trying to do right now… but please stop saying all of these horrible things-” 

“-I could’ve killed you easily,” Mukuro spat, notably avoiding Chihiro’s gaze. “You’re weak. However, it would’ve been harder to get someone to your room-” 

“-OBJECTION!” Phoenix cried. “You said in your earlier testimony that you didn’t mean to implicate anyone in particular, yet now you justify sparing Chihiro because it would’ve been harder to implicate someone else if she died!” Phoenix’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Mukuro. “The way this crime is structured, the defendant was purposely lured to the gym to make the crime possible, with the implication he’d return to the scene and be implicated. You even said that the killer would have exploited the study session. There’s a note written by the victim about the session,” Phoenix gestured to Hiro’s note, “That details that his door will be unlocked for Makoto. Choosing Yasuhiro Hagakure comes with framing Makoto Naegi. If you are the killer, you’d be targeting my client… but you wouldn’t do that, Mukuro.” 

“W-what do you mean?” Mukuro said. “I was aiming for Makoto, I admit it. You saw through my lie. The evidence-”

“-The evidence says you wouldn’t hurt Makoto,” Phoenix said. A hint of sadness crept into his voice. “Yesterday, the defense investigated your room. We found it said a lot about you. This crime was elaborate… which is the opposite of you and what you are all about.” 

“What do you mean, Mr. Wright?” the Judge said. He’d forgotten to officially start the cross-examination, but he seemed too engrossed in the trial to care. “What was in her room?” 

“That’s impossible,” Mukuro growled. “You can’t get into my room without my handbook-” 

“-No,” Phoenix shook his head. He took out the handbook Chihiro made for him. “This handbook allows me access into every room. Chihiro put a lot of effort into the code.” Phoenix noticed Mukuro beginning to sweat more. “We went into your room,” he said. “There was almost nothing inside, barring the essentials. That says a lot about you, Mukuro. You aren’t one for elaborate plots or schemes. Prosecutor von Karma’s point about the water bottles wasn’t useless, she showed that you not only didn’t seem to know that the bottles were moved, you also wouldn’t do something that extra in the first place when you would’ve shredded the jacket like I suggested. If you wanted to take someone out, you’d just do it, no frills. One of the few nonessential things in the room were these photographs,” Phoenix took out the two photos he’d found in Mukuro’s room. Makoto and Junko. “These photographs represent your true motives, the people most important to you. The defendant is one of them.” Phoenix showed the photos to the court. “You really like him… it’s evident to anyone who looks at this photo. You really care about Makoto.” 

“Ah, the look of a woman in love,” the Judge sighed, looking at the photo. “Oh, Miss Ikusaba looks at him with such warmth and kindness… I never thought that it was possible to have that from the ultimate soldier.” 

“You would never come up with a plan that puts him in harm's way…” Phoenix paused. “...you’d just be an accomplice in one. This confession was your attempt to keep what’s most important to you.”

“No!” Mukuro shouted suddenly, her cheeks turning red. “I implicated him on purpose! I admit it… but I never told you why. I committed this crime with the knowledge that he’d be safely tucked away in solitary confinement… away from this horrible, despairing world.”

“You really thought that me coming to see my friend’s body was keeping me from despair?” Makoto questioned, his voice sharp with rage. “You really thought that keeping me locked up in jail while my friends suffered is helping me? Did she tell you that?” 

“Who is she?” the Judge questioned, not bothering to penalize Makoto. “What are you talking about? What is going on?” 

“This girl is an accomplice to the crime, Your Honor,” Phoenix said. “She isn’t the true criminal. She’s just taking the fall for the person truly responsible-” 

“-NO!” Mukuro shouted suddenly. Her voice cut through the courtroom. Her teeth were bared, her eyes were wide with panic. “I DID THIS! This was my decision to come forward! My mission was complete, and I wanted Makoto out of jail. I proved my point to all of them!” Mukuro pointed towards the stands. “There is no other reason or person involved. If you were in my room… you saw the files there, right? I took files about you to unnerve you and learn about you. I have no alibi. Even with my slip-ups, it is still ME! You don’t have to understand my motives… just know that this is the truth.” 

“If you really took those files to mess with me, why haven’t you yet?” Phoenix pressed. Mukuro’s gaze fell to the floor. He knew the truth. Mukuro probably hadn’t read them, instead relying on whatever Junko told her. “You’re just hiding them for the true culprit… and I bet you don’t even know where the envelopes went. After all, those were missing from your room.” 

“I-I never read the files,” Mukuro crossed her arms, and she took a shaky breath. “I just took them to scare you, to play mind games like a soldier would. I-I tossed the envelopes somewhere else… under a door! I put them under a student’s door to scare them… I did,” Mukuro almost seemed to be muttering to herself. “Think, damnit!” She growled to herself. “Don’t be useless, this is your duty! Remember!” 

“Miss Ikusaba,” Franziska whipped at the stand near Mukuro, jolting her to attention. “You are unravelling. Your supposed actions are foolish and disingenuous. Your motive seems shaky and contradictory… because it is not your true motive. Your true motive for confessing was to protect the person responsible for this crime. I will not allow this foolish farce to continue any longer. These photographs in your room reveal all. The two people you are acting for… the two who will benefit the most from your false confession. The defendant, who will be freed, and the true culprit.” Franziska gestured to Phoenix with a gloved hand. “Tell them, Phoenix Wright.” 

“Nick…” Maya whispered softly. “I can sense Pearl is scared… but she’d want us to reveal the truth. She can’t hurt Pearl… not with everyone watching.” 

This was it. Phoenix turned to face the students. They all watched him silently with anxious eyes. Even Byakuya looked anxious and he knew the answer. Pearl looked at him with scared eyes, yet there was a spark in them, urging him to go ahead. Makoto tensed up, already looking expectantly at Junko with a glare. Mukuro looked at Makoto, and as she followed his eyeline, her mouth went agape in horror. Phoenix knew he had to reveal the truth before she could formulate a response. 

“The killer is… you!” 

Phoenix pointed right at Junko Enoshima. It was quiet enough to hear a pin drop in the courtroom. Phoenix felt like the oxygen was being sucked out of the room. Franziska tensed, glaring at Mukuro, who went rigid. She wiped sweat with a gloved hand. Maya let out a barely audible whimper and glanced towards the stands. Every member of the class was staring at Junko now, but the girl didn’t break a sweat. She didn’t say a word, instead, still clutching Pearl’s hand. 

“Don’t bring her into this,” Mukuro growled. “Junko isn’t like me. She’s a savior. She helped everyone even look presentable for court today. She brought out their best.” Mukuro looked at the others with a piercing gaze. “You all know what she’s truly like. She’s nothing like me… I’m wretched and undeserving of friends… Junko moves people and deserves all of their support.” 

Franziska tensed up. “Miss Ikusaba, this isn’t the time for an emotional appeal-” 

Mukuro kept going, as if she didn’t even hear Franziska. She was getting more frantic, even desperate.“-She’s been there for me, she understands me. She and I are always together. We’re sisters and equals. I would be nothing without her-which is why I committed this crime without her. I knew she wouldn’t do it, and I needed to make my point. After all, she has an alibi the night of the crime. Perfectly photographed. So what if this crime doesn’t fit my personality? I did that to throw you off.” 

“No,” Phoenix shook his head. “Junko is the mastermind, and you’re her puppet. She came up with this plan… and she doesn’t have an alibi. You do, Mukuro. These pictures of Celeste and Hifumi in the media room… you’re there, not Junko. You were disguised as her. Junko has no alibi.” 

“How… unexpected….” Celeste managed at last. “If that were true…” The rest of the class turned to her in anticipation. 

“-Fuck you,” Mukuro’s gloved hands curled up. She brought her fist down on the desk with a resounding slam. “You really think you’re going to pull something here?!” Mukuro gave Phoenix a murderous glare and pointed to the photo. “That’s Junko! You really think I’d give up my own sister, after she’s done nothing but support me? I’m her equal… she’s the only one who makes me feel important… besides him…” Mukuro looked briefly at Makoto, then at Junko. The rest of the class were caught between the sisters, not knowing who to believe. “I won’t let you hurt her because of me,” Mukuro growled. “It’s my duty to protect her, especially from an action I took.” 

“You would see it as your duty,” Franziska said. “Based on your files… that weren’t covered in poisoned tea, I saw that you are a soldier who has been trained since childhood to follow orders. Why wouldn’t you obey the person you love most, even more so than a random general… family can bring out the fools in us all.” Franziska crossed her arms and looked briefly at her desk, as if thinking of her own family. 

“I will protect my family, that doesn’t make me foolish, it makes me dedicated. This is my crime, and I will protect my sister’s name from slander. I am an outcast, and this is my sole purpose.” 

“Not like this,” Phoenix countered desperately. “Mukuro, I’ve seen that you care. You helped save Pearl from a fight yesterday. You came forward to help free Makoto. You wouldn’t hurt your friends on your own volition. You aren’t an outcast, you’ve finally been getting close to them-” 

“-That’s a lie!” Mukuro’s voice lost its last shred of stoicism, and her eyes pricked up.”It’s my crime! I left the knife there, and the justice card that was shown has my initial! I had your files and everything! I left the clues.” 

“You left the knife. That’s it?” Phoenix felt the evidence beginning to click. “Really? If it really was you, you just left the knife and relied on luck to get Makoto? You had all of my files in a complete set?” 

“Yes,” Mukuro answered back. “It leads to me.” 

“That shows something else, Mukuro,” Phoenix answered, and he looked at Mukuro with pity. “It shows the truth behind your role in Junko’s life. It shows that you’re expendable to her… that she’d cast you aside in a heartbeat to accomplish her goal.” 

“What?” Mukuro’s eyes widened. “No… you’re wrong! You’re wrong! You don’t know anything! You have no proof!”

Phoenix looked at Mukuro sadly. He did have proof, from the investigation. It was something that was hidden for days, but due to a certain defendant, it was evidence now. Makoto looked at Phoenix with a determined expression. It was time to end this, Phoenix thought. He had to get through to Mukuro with evidence… even if the truth would be something she didn’t want to hear. 

Maya gave Phoenix a determined look, her fists clenched by her sides. “I want Junko away from Pearl and on the stand. You can do this, Nick.” 

Phoenix nodded. “I have the evidence. I just have to get through to her. I have to make her listen!” This was it, Phoenix thought. The moment of truth. 

“You’re wrong!” Mukuro shouted desperately. 

Phoenix showed her the photos. “This crime goes against everything you are! You wouldn’t hurt those you’ve come to care about! Trust is important to you!” 

“Stop it!” Mukuro’s hands began to shake, her fists were unable to form. 

“You love the defendant, and would’ve never thought to involve him yourself!” Phoenix slammed his hands on the table. 

“I won’t listen to you!” Mukuro held her gloved hands over her ears. 

“You’ve been unable to account for minute details in your confession that have created glaring holes in your supposed crime!” 

“That’s a fucking lie!” 

“You lied about having no alibi,” Phoenix said. “You wanted to shield Junko.” 

“I will protect my sister from your lies!” Mukuro glared at Phoenix. 

“You’re being set up too,” Phoenix said. “Junko had you lined up as another scapegoat.” 

“I won’t listen to you!” Mukuro’s eyes began to tear up. 

“If she truly cared about you as well, she would’ve told you more.” 

“She told me nothing! This was my plan!” 

“If she hadn’t left out crucial details to you, you’d actually be able to put up a coherent defense,” Phoenix shot back. 

“I’ll never stop fighting!” Mukuro pounded on the witness stand. “That’s the truth!” 

“You were her footsoldier, not an equal!” Phoenix shouted, frustration lining his voice. “If you were an equal, she wouldn’t have let you do this!” 

“This was my decision!” Mukuro yelled back, her teeth gnashing in frustration. “I control my fate! I am not anyone’s puppet!”

“She views you as her pawn. She’s going to discard you,” Phoenix said. 

“We’re equals. The despair sisters!” Mukuro’s face was flushed, and tears began to fall down her face. 

“No,” Phoenix shook his head. “If you were truly equals, you’d be just as knowledgeable of the crime as her. You aren’t. You’ve contradicted yourself several times. You would have known about something she did. Something she left behind to implicate you.” 

“No!” Mukuro’s voice came out through shaky screams, fury mixing with devastation, and Phoenix felt his own heart beginning to break. “I-I I’M THE ULTIMATE SOLDIER!” Mukuro cried. “I’M A HEARTLESS KILLER! NOT JUNKO! YOU HAVE NO PROOF ANYTHING ELSE WAS LEFT AT THE SCENE! IT WAS ME!” 

“TAKE THAT!” Phoenix gave Mukuro one last sad look before presenting the evidence. “This was in the possession of the defendant. It’s a note from Makoto to… you. It tells you everything about the study session, and Makoto found it at the scene of the crime. It would theoretically connect you to the justice card as well,” Phoenix held up the justice card, with its blood M. “This card would have caused us to suspect you due to the initial written on it, but Makoto stopped us from going down that path. He concealed the note on his own person for days because he wanted to avoid implicating you, because he had hope in you. He saw you as an equal… as a friend.” Phoenix briefly looked towards Makoto. “This was left at the scene by Junko… to implicate you. She used your knife, and that had to be her idea. She took this note somehow, and planted it at the scene. If it wasn’t for Makoto… you could’ve easily taken the fall for this. You didn’t know that, meaning Junko set you up without your knowledge. You aren’t her equal, Mukuro, you’re expendable.” 

The color in Mukuro’s face drained away. She began to tremble, her cries growing softer. “N-no…” she rasped. “She wouldn’t-” 

“She would!” Makoto stood up from his chair. “How much longer are you going to let her control you like this and call it love?! She lied to you! I-if I hadn’t hidden that note, the police easily could’ve arrested you instead, Mukuro! Junko views you as expendable, damnit!” Makoto looked at Mukuro desperately. “You told me you never wanted this. You liked Hiro. You wouldn’t poison the Headmaster. I don’t know how Junko twisted your head into thinking this was somehow right… but look at everyone!” Makoto gestured to the stands, where the ultimates’ gazes were locked on Mukuro, their eyes full of hurt and betrayal. Makoto looked the most hurt of them all. “These are your friends… and you’re hurting them! You hurt me, you were never helping me. I-I did something horrible and lied to everyone for days to protect you, and you think taking the fall for Junko is the same thing?! Mukuro… Kyoko could lose her dad over this. Mrs. Hagakure already lost her son. You say you’re doing this because you care about me…” Makoto’s anger faded away, and he just looked weary and sad. “Mukuro, if you really care… and I know you do… you’ll do the right thing. Tell everyone the truth.” 

“I-I… I love my sister,” Mukuro croaked softly, wiping her eyes. “B-but I care about my friends-I care about you, Makoto.” Mukuro looked at Makoto, her eyes misty with grief and love. “She… she had so many plans that she told me about… but I thought we’d be together. I-I was like Celeste and Toko. A smokescreen… but I still love her… but-but…” Mukuro looked at the stands, and she looked at… Pearl? “I’m so sorry,” Mukuro said softly, looking at Phoenix. “I’m sorry, Mr. Wright… Maya… Pearl is so sweet.” Mukuro looked at the rest of the class. “I’m sorry for this… but she said it would work out. She wanted…” Mukuro stopped. 

“You said you were the despair sisters,” Franziska glared at Mukuro. “What do you mean by that?” 

Mukuro didn’t respond. She instead took a shaky breath. “I am involved in the crime. I admit it in full. I… I helped. I-I…” Mukuro placed a gloved hand over her mouth. “No… I can’t… I-I won’t condemn-” 

“-You don’t need to,” Byakuya’s voice echoed from the stands. It was laced with disgust. “You’re the weak one. You can’t say it. I will. Junko Enoshima is the mastermind behind this plot.” 

“She needs to be subpoenaed now,” Franziska said, nodding in agreement. “We’ll end this once and for all.” 

“Puhuhuhu….” Junko giggled from the stands still clutching Pearl’s hand. Pearl looked drained and scared, her eyes were even starting to look sunken. It made Phoenix want to vomit, and he saw Maya trembling next to him. Junko shook her head, and turned to Pearl. “Why would someone like me commit a crime? I’m kind and cute! Everyone knows that. Pearly here can attest that I’ve been holding her hand and comforting her this whole time. I don’t really think that my sister’s last minute attempt to back out of her confession-” 

“-Let go of Pearl, you’re hurting her!” Sayaka cried, unable to hold back any longer. She grabbed Pearl’s other arm and tried to tug her away. Junko held firm. 

“Get the fuck away from her!” Mondo suddenly flared with rage and ripped Junko from Pearl, making Junko lose her grip, and Pearl stumbled into Sayaka’s arms and began to cry. Mondo held Junko up by her lapels. “You fuckin’ think you can just mess with her the whole trial an’ get away with it?!” The delinquent glared daggers at Junko, but she didn’t flinch. Junko’s eyes flitted to the exit. “The fuck is your deal? Is what Makoto an’ Mr. Wright says true?” Mondo exclaimed. 

“You’re not going to escape,” Sakura said, her voice leveled yet cold. She glared at Junko and raised her fists to a guard position. She pushed Chihiro and Leon behind her so that she was next to Mondo and Junko. She shielded Chihiro, Leon, Taka, and Hina from Junko with a muscled arm. “We won’t let you leave, Enoshima. You are going to answer for this.” 

“I don’t want to leave,” Junko said, rolling her eyes. “I want to testify so I can clear this whole thing up. Mukuro obviously lost her nerve and is going along with this crackpot theory cooked up by Makoto and Wrighto. They’ve got the wrong girl, and I’m prepared to show them evidence to prove it.” Junko glared at Mondo, her nails barely grazing his skin. 

“Stop!” Pearl cried. “Junko was being a bit hard on me… but that’s because she was worried about Mukuro, and she’s upset that Mukuro lied!” Pearl’s voice shook, and her eyes briefly flitted to the floor. “Please, let go of her, Mondo.” Pearl looked at Mondo, her eyes big and pleading. 

“W-why is Pearl defending Junko, Nick?” Maya gave Phoenix a concerned look. “What did Junko say to her?” 

“I don’t know,” Phoenix admitted. “I-It seems like Pearl’s scared… for Mondo’s sake.” 

Phoenix tried to catch Pearl’s eye, but she avoided his gaze. Her hand was in her pocket again, and Phoenix tried to imagine that at least the fictional rabbit could somehow comfort Pearl… about whatever she was thinking. Phoenix couldn’t know. Phoenix shivered as an icy dread went down his spine. Pearl knew something… something Junko told her, and she’s still scared enough to play along… what is it? Phoenix looked briefly at Makoto, who looked just as confused and concerned. He knew something was up too, and he tried to catch Mukuro’s gaze, but she hid her face behind her gloved hands. Mondo wordlessly let go of Junko with a grunt, dropping her like a sack of potatoes, and Pearl of all people helped her up. 

“Thanks, Pearly,” Junko said. “You know… you’re intuitive. You have to know that your friends have the wrong girl… and my own friends don’t even trust that!” Junko turned to Mondo and Sakura with a glare. “You will see the truth. Ogami and Owada… these brutes were going to beat me up!” Junko shook her head. “Once you see the truth, you both won’t be so tough anymore. Beating up an innocent girl hardly seems becoming of either of you. Hey… Mondo, didn’t your brother tell you to never raise your hand to a woman?” 

“Shut up!” Mondo growled. 

“Let Junko testify,” Byakuya glared at Junko. “We should hear her attempt at a defense.”

“A-are you serious?” Leon exclaimed. “Who knows what she’ll say? This whole thing is-” 

“-W-what if she’s telling the truth?” Chihiro said, his voice soft and hesitant. “What if Makoto got it wrong… and Mukuro really did do it? She didn’t even say Junko was the mastermind. Junko… she’s given me makeovers, taught me to be more confident… and you just want me to believe she’s guilty?!” Chihiro teared up. “I-I hardly know Mukuro like I do Junko…” 

“That is true,” Celeste said. “I have gotten to know Junko much more than Ikusaba and playing cards is Junko’s forte over Ikusaba… but Makoto’s argument isn’t weightless, no?” 

“But it’s Junko!” Hina said. “She helped me fix my hair this morning and lent me a hair tie… and she’s always doing nice stuff like that. She’s bubbly a-and kind… I think… I don’t know what to believe,” Hina hung her head. “She even got a toy for Pearl, and she seemed to like it.” 

“My brother wouldn’t lie!” Komaru cried. “It has to be her!” Komaru pointed to Junko. 

“Makoto wouldn’t lie,” Kiyotaka offered. “However,” he pursed his lips. “We just found out he hid evidence and that would be considered a lie… but why would he do that? He would not defend…” Kiyotaka crossed his arms. “I-I can’t rationalize it.” 

The courtroom became abuzz, and the ultimates were arguing back and forth. Clearly, they weren’t sure who to believe, though the main debate seemed to center around whether or not Junko was right or Makoto was right. It was as if Mukuro was forgotten. Something about that made Phoenix feel a twinge of pity towards Mukuro. Phoenix’s eyes flitted over to the other side of the courtroom, where Hiroko and Officer Ishimaru were. Officer Ishimaru’s eyebrows were furrowed as Hiroko whispered something to him. Both of them were stone faced, though Phoenix saw Hiroko’s eyes narrow as she looked at both Junko and Mukuro. 

“Order!” The Judge banged his gavel, trying to drown out the confused buzz from the stands. The Judge turned towards Phoenix and Franziska. He looked exhausted. “Clearly,” he said, “This case is far from over… and it appears the matter of the culprit is at stake. Miss Enoshima will testify for the court to counter Miss Ikusaba… and we will discover the truth. If we cannot… Mr. Naegi will be the only other alternative.” 

Phoenix’s heart hammered in his chest. This was it, they’d gotten her on the stand. Of course… Mukuro hadn’t named her. Not having Junko’s name pass Mukuro’s name in a statement of definitive guilt wasn’t good. He’d gotten through to her, but she still loved her sister. A sense of sisterly duty and love surpassing evidence of the other’s misdeeds and blackened heart made Phoenix ache. It was only a few months ago he’d seen Iris Fey through similar revelations. A twin willing to look past their sister’s flaws in order to show their love. 

Sisterhood seemed to follow Phoenix wherever he went. Mia and Maya. Lana and Ema. Dahlia and Iris. Mukuro and Junko. He’d seen sisters fight to protect each other, Lana even taking a fall similar to Mukuro’s to protect Ema; the difference being that Ema was deserving of Lana’s protection. Ema was kind, smart, and innocent, she had the heart of a scientist, while Junko had the heart of a killer. Maya wept when Mia died… and Phoenix was sure Junko wouldn’t shed any tears if Mukuro dropped dead now. 

“The prosecution will prepare for the witness to take the stand, and we will place Miss Ikusaba in custody to be questioned.” Franziska offered a polite curtsy to the Judge. “She has proven to be involved in a certain capacity already.” Franziska said, making sure to choose her words carefully. Franziska also looked towards the stands where Junko was. She glared and brandished her whip towards Junko. “Miss Enoshima will be watched by the bailiff until it is time to get her on the stand. Neither sister will be allowed near the other students or each other.” 

“The defense will be ready, Your Honor,” Phoenix said with a nod. “We’ll find the truth, and end this case once and for all.” Phoenix held Makoto’s gaze. They were so close. This final testimony would be the most important of them all. 

The Judge nodded. “I trust that both sides will bring their best. We will have a ten minute recess, and then we will reconvene for Miss Enoshima’s testimony.” The Judge brought down his gavel. “Court is adjourned!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... there you have it. I tried to mimic a bullet time battle/panic talk action with Mukuro at the very end there if you guys couldn't tell. I'm not going to bother putting the court record here because I can't fit it and it's in the previous chapters if you want to look. Anyway, next chapter is the penultimate moment, and the Ultimate Despair herself will be facing off with Phoenix! Of course, I bet you're wondering if Edgeworth or Kyoko will return... and to that I say...*sudden static*


	13. Day 4-Trial Latter (Phoenix)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final stretch of the trial occurs, and Phoenix takes on Junko. He'll have the help of familiar friends, but Junko's got a few tricks up her sleeve. Will Phoenix triumph, or will he submit to despair?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here it is! The penultimate chapter! I'm so sorry you guys had to wait an extra week for this one, but I think you guys will like it. It took a lot of effort, hence the wait. I will warn you guys that it is very long, but I'd like to think it's eventful enough to make up for it. Also, I just wanted to say thank you guys so much for sticking with this story, it means so much to me!

May 3rd, 12:30 PM

District Court

Defendant Lobby No.2

Phoenix felt as if he were made of stone. He practically dragged himself from the courtroom on heavy, dread-filled limbs. He was hardly even aware of his surroundings as he exited the room, only being brought back to Earth from a light brush of Maya’s robes on his skin, and a light nudge from Makoto, who appeared by his side rather quickly. The soft fabric and nudge made him blink in surprise, and he found himself in the lobby. 

“Mr. Wright,” Makoto’s voice was laced with concern. “I-it’s going to be okay-” 

“-You weren’t there when she took Pearl,” Maya said, her voice wobbling. She looked nervous. “I just want to see that she’s alright. I just want to hold her again.” 

Makoto’s eyes softened. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I-If I can say anything, though, it’s that I’d trust the rest of my classmates to take good care of her, and they should be here soon with her anyway.” 

Makoto gestured down the hall. The three looked over to the side of the lobby where the jurors exited from. Byakuya came out alone. There, Phoenix saw a blinking on Byakuya’s belt, and the boy stepped away from the door to attend to a pager he’d had on his person. Mukuro exited from an adjacent door, being led away in handcuffs by the bailiff, her head was down. She quickly got away from where the rest of the class would be walking out from. Phoenix could sense the shame radiating off of her a mile away. Franziska walked over to where Mukuro was being held, probably keeping an eye on her. The bailiff was sent away by Franziska, who waved over Officer Ishimaru. He saw Franziska’s lips moving, but Mukuro made no move to respond, looking utterly despondent and staring at the floor. Officer Ishimaru left Hiroko’s side to come over, and Franziska motioned to Mukuro, and Officer Ishimaru gave a slight nod. 

The rest of the class came filing out, Junko was promptly picked up by the original, rather unremarkable bailiff and led away from the others. Her eyes locked with his, and all Phoenix could see were two joyless blue orbs leering at him. Phoenix saw Mukuro snap up to look towards Junko, only for Franziska to block her view. He shivered, and turned back towards the class. There was someone he was more worried about. He saw Pearl with the rest of the ultimates and Komaru, and they all crowded around her asking questions, a lot of them looking very worried. Phoenix strained to hear what they were saying.

“Hey, give her some fucking space!” Phoenix heard Leon shout. “Everybody back up!” 

“Pearl,” Sayaka said gently. “You look really bad… is something wrong?” 

Phoenix couldn’t make out Pearl’s mumbled response, but he could see just what Sayaka meant. Pearl looked pale and fatigued, she looked almost gaunt. She was shivering. Pearl tried to bunch up in her robes, but there wasn’t enough fabric to cover her. It was probably from fear, Phoenix thought. He felt guilty. He wished he could’ve stopped Junko from taking her somehow. He would’ve exposed the whole case if he’d refused… but he didn’t. What would he have done if she’d… would Maya have blamed him? What would Maya have done? Maya probably would’ve attacked Junko right there… and then maybe she’d be the one in the defendant’s chair. He didn’t want to think about it. 

“She looks really cold,” Hina said. She took off her red sports jacket and handed it to Pearl. “Here, you should probably wear this for now.” Pearl wordlessly zipped up the red jacket, and gave Hina a small smile, still shivering.

“Here, take mine too,” Mondo shrugged off his jacket and wrapped it around Pearl. “No one’ll fuck with you with this on. Take good care of it, kay?” Pearl nodded, looking utterly diminutive in Mondo’s jacket. 

“Don’t swear!” Kiyotaka chided. 

Pearl mumbled something, presumably a thanks to Mondo and Hina, based on their nods and grins. He saw Pearl take out the Usami figurine and she said something that was yet again too quiet to hear, but it made the rest of the class and Komaru smile. 

“Pearly!” Maya cried out, bounding over to Pearl. “You’re safe!”

Pearl wrapped her arms around Maya. “Mystic Maya,” Pearl breathed softly. “Mr. Nick. I-I’m okay.” 

“I’m really glad you’re okay Pearls,” Phoenix said, walking over to them. He got down on his knees and embraced the tiny medium. Even with the added layers, she was still cold. At the very least, she wasn’t shivering anymore, so Phoenix reasoned it would wear off eventually. 

“Thank you guys,” Maya said, gratefully. “You all really seemed worried about Pearls… and she really does look good in these jackets.” 

“She looks so cute!” Hina beamed. “She still looks kinda cold, though. Leon, hand over your jacket too.” 

“She can have mine,” Makoto walked over to the group, and it went silent. 

“Makoto!” Komaru grinned and hugged him, not sensing the tension. “I’m glad you’re going to be okay, and you’re going to catch that girl-” 

“-Don’t be so presumptuous,” Celeste said, cutting into a happy reunion. Her eyes bore into the Naegi siblings. “We do not know the truth. After all, it has come to light that Makoto hid evidence for days on end.” 

“Why would you do that, Makoto?” Hifumi asked, raising an eyebrow. “That seems an action most unbefitting of a framed paragon like yourself!” Hifumi’s voice dropped lower and Phoenix blinked in surprise.

“It is dishonorable,” Kiyotaka frowned. “I know you are a good person Makoto… but, why?”

“Mukuro is our friend,” Makoto said. He hung his head. “I had a hunch that she was being set up when I saw the scene… so I took what I thought would implicate her. I-I’ll admit I wasn’t thinking clearly… and maybe it wasn’t the right thing to do… but I’m right about Junko. I’m sorry to say it, but it’s true.” 

“I-I don’t know who I want to believe,” Chihiro admitted. “We’re all friends.” 

“O-obviously not,” Toko countered. “That’s naive to s-say after e-everything. M-maybe Makoto got it w-wrong.” 

“You can’t turn on my brother like that!” Komaru said, a look of indignation crossing her features. “You helped us get him here on time, and even used your bow as a bandage for him, which gave me the idea to use mine too! You believed in him then, so believe now too!” 

“H-hey!” Toko cried, adjusting her glasses. “I-I did believe before! I-I didn’t know he lied before… a-and I’m not the only o-one in doubt!” Toko pointed to the others. “S-see, the others d-don’t know either!” 

“I don’t know what to believe, Makoto,” Hina said sadly. She looked at Makoto, and he turned away, looking at the floor with water eyes. 

“We’re not saying we don’t believe in your innocence, Makoto,” Sakura said, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. “We are just doubting Mukuro’s.” 

“You should doubt her,” Makoto mumbled at last. “She messed up, but-” 

“-I don’t want to hear it!” Chihiro’s eyes pricked with tears. “M-mukuro said she could’ve easily killed me… a-and now you want to accuse Junko too?! I won’t listen anymore! I can’t lose another friend.” 

Chihiro walked away with muffled cries. In a rather strange twist, Celeste was the first to go after him, taking a laced handkerchief out of her breast pocket as she did. Hifumi spared Makoto a rather apologetic glance before following. Hina walked away soon after, and Kiyotaka followed, shaking his head as he did, probably still processing how Makoto actually broke a law. 

“Jesus Christ,” Mondo crossed his arms. “I, uh, don’t doubt ya, Makoto. I-I jus’ saw the was Junko’s nails were hurtin’ Pearl… and she said she didn’t mean it…” Mondo’s face darkened. “I’m with ya… on everything except Mukuro. She ain’t our friend. Not anymore. So don’t try an’ defend her.” Mondo walked away, running a hand through his hair, messing up his already deflated pompadour. 

“I’ll withhold judgment on Ikusaba,” Sakura said. “I don’t wish to condemn Enoshima but… I believe Hina and Chihiro’s tender hearts prevent them from seeing a certain truth. I will look towards you all for guidance.” Sakura bowed towards Phoenix, and he followed suit, out of politeness and gratitude for Sakura’s level head. Sakura turned and walked away, but her features were laced with apprehension. 

“I believe you, Makoto,” Sayaka said. “I’ll always believe in you. If you say Junko’s guilty, then that’s that. I-I thought something was wrong when I saw her with Pearl anyway. Pearl’s smile seemed forced.” Sayaka sighed. “I’d know what a forced smile looks like.” 

“I’m with you guys too,” Leon said. “After all that time investigating, there’s no way I’m not going to be standing with you guys! You’ve done a lot to help Hiro, and you all have been nice to us, even if some of us have been pricks. Also, you haven’t been wrong yet, after all,” Leon chuckled. “Besides, Makoto’s one of the smarter kids in the class. Just sayin’.” 

“I-I’ll stay,” Toko said. “K-Komaru and M-master probably expect it… a-and Makoto was o-one of m-my first friends.” Toko looked down with a blush. “I-I have doubts b-but… that d-doesn’t matter now.” 

“Of course, I’m staying,” Komaru said. 

“Aren’t you mad?” Makoto managed, looking at Komaru. “I lied to you.” He looked at the other three students. “I lied to all of you. E-everyone else is hurt or a-angry… why aren’t you?” Makoto looked drained, and frankly, shocked to have any support at all. 

“I am a bit upset,” Komaru admitted. “I-I just wish I was more reliable, so that you’d trust me.” 

“You aren’t the problem,” Makoto sighed. “I-I just convinced myself that this was right when it clearly wasn’t… and I lied to my friends and family to get this far… I just don’t deserve your support. Any of you.” Makoto’s face and hands were still bruised from the accident, and it made him appear even more pitiful. Phoenix wordlessly placed a hand on his back, and he could feel the tension in Makoto’s shoulders. Phoenix felt a stirring of sympathy in his gut. 

“I just wish you thought to trust us with this information,” Sayaka said. 

“I probably would’ve tried to confront Mukuro…” Leon crossed his arms. “It’s probably good that I didn’t know until I, uh, mellowed out a bit. And not in the Hiro way of mellowing out… though that does sound good right now.” 

“M-maybe don’t mention getting h-high in front of the k-kid,” Toko said with an eye roll, jabbing a thumb towards Pearl. 

“She met Jill already,” Leon retorted. “Besides, she’s been around Mondo and I enough to start swearing like a sailor anyway. This is a drop in the bucket… sorry Pearl.” Leon looked sheepishly at Pearl, who managed a weak smile. 

“They’re your sister and friends, Makoto,” Maya said gently. She placed a hand on Makoto’s other shoulder. “Even if they are mad, they’ll believe in you. After all, no one even doubts you. It’s Mukuro they doubt… they’re just upset that you’d cover for her-” 

“-What about Kyoko?” Makoto managed. “She probably hates me. I-I mean… the Headmaster-” 

“-You can ask her yourself,” Byakuya’s voice cut through. “I got paged from Prosecutor Edgeworth, and I talked the Judge into extending our recess. Prosecutor Edgeworth and Kyoko are on their way here right now.” 

“Does that mean the Headmaster is okay?” Pearl asked. She wrapped Mondo’s large jacket tighter around her.

Byakuya shook his head. “His condition isn’t stabilized either way yet. Detective Gumshoe is apparently staying behind… I am not sure why they decided to leave. Either way, I got them an airlift in a Togami Corporation helicopter. They should be here shortly.” Byakuya turned to Makoto. “You better not let Enoshima see you defeated like this, Makoto. She’ll leech off of your weakness, like she attempted to do with Maya Fey and Mr. Wright.” 

“Is that your form of encouragement, Byakuya?” Makoto managed a small smile. “I’m glad you came around, at least. I can hardly believe you tried to buy off my lawyer a few days ago.” 

Makoto managed a small laugh, and Leon joined in soon after. Sayaka giggled too, and even Maya smiled. Pearl smiled as well and that elicited a grin out of Komaru, who had no idea what they were talking about. Toko looked at Byakuya hesitantly. 

“I won’t object to being the butt of your joke this time,” Byakuya said, shaking his head. “That was your free pass, Makoto.” 

“Junko is staring at us,” Pearl mumbled, snapping everyone out from the light moment previously. 

“I’m not scared of Junko,” Byakuya said flippantly. “Let her stare.” 

Phoenix’s mouth went dry as he looked over to Junko, who pointedly looked away from him. She was adjusting her hair and chatting with the bailiff. To his surprise, the bailiff looked rather entranced by what she was saying, and was nodding intently to her every word. Phoenix had never noticed the bailiff’s features before, they were always plain and boring. He practically blended into the background in the courtroom, but when Phoenix looked at him, he suddenly looked distinct. His eyes shone with an ignited passion, he was no longer standing stoically at attention. His unremarkable features lit up, and his lips twisted in a rather wolfish grin. In all of his years here, Phoenix had never seen the bailiff’s expression change. Something about seeing that, when compared to Officer Ishimaru who held Mukuro in complete silence, scared him. _ Junko moves people. She is a savior.  _ Those were Mukuro’s words concerning Junko… and Phoenix wondered how fast she could sway someone. What was she saying to the bailiff?

“Hey, good job in there,” Hiroko walked up to them, and offered a cigarette to Phoenix, jolting him from his thoughts. “I trust that whatever you expose will be the truth… I was never certain that Hiro’s clairvoyance was totally real, but I’d like to think he’ll guide you to picking the correct culprit. Maybe he’s been guiding you this whole time.” 

“I promise Hiroko,” Phoenix said, politely refusing a cigarette. “I promise I’ll show you the truth. Your son’s killer will be put away… and thank you for believing in me. I’d like to think that Hiro is helping us too.” 

“Me too,” Makoto nodded. “He left the justice card, after all. That was his dying message. That has to lead somewhere.” 

“He couldn’t have died in vain!” Leon said. “That dying message could be the key! Though… I do wonder what that weird little balloon drawing is. The M seems self explanatory… though if we’re believing it isn’t Mukuro… maybe Hiro saw the note being dropped and tried to warn Mukuro?” 

“I’m not sure about that,” Sayaka shook her head. “Hiro was hit with the crystal ball, he’d be pretty disoriented. He’d only see what’s in front of him.”

“We need to think about what the drawing is,” Maya crossed her arms. “It isn’t a clover, after all. I guessed that earlier on, but that can’t be it.” 

“Is there a special meaning to the justice card?” Komaru asked. 

“I doubt Hiro thought of meaning in his last moments. He was probably in a panic.” 

The group turned to see Kyoko behind them, redoing her familiar braid. Her familiar leather jacket was thrown over her shoulder, and her lavender tie was coming loose. She nodded politely to Phoenix before her eyes flitted to Makoto. 

“What happened to you?” Kyoko asked. Her eyes shone with worry, despite the air of indifference that she was trying to project.

“I was in an accident, it was nothing,” Makoto said quickly, trying to play it off. “You’re here,” he murmured softly. “I’m so sorry, Kyoko.” 

Kyoko frowned, and her worry began to fade. “I know you are… but… I trusted you, Makoto. I know I was hard on you at first… but maybe I was right to be. I felt bad for telling you the truth, that I needed to see the evidence.” Kyoko’s gaze softened. Worry still lingered in her eyes. “I know you did this for friendship… but so did I. I helped as much as I did because I liked you enough to want a personal hand in clearing your name and saving you…” Kyoko glared at Makoto, her worry combining with raw anger. “I didn’t realize… I never thought you’d do something like this. You lied for someone who was involved in the crime, and this lie just delayed the truth. It led us on the wrong course, led you to more jail time, and it gave Junko time to prepare. It gave her time to research Mr. Wright and Prosecutor Edgeworth. It also gave her time to poison my father. The last thing we should be doing is giving Junko more time.” 

Phoenix’s eyes flitted over to where Junko was. The bailiff was still hanging onto every word, Even now, in the lobby, this was just more time for Junko. She’s weaponized every minute, Phoenix realized. Phoenix tensed up, and he could see the worry lining his own features, despite a part of himself trying to appear confident for the sake of everyone else. Junko was extraordinary in that she could twist anything to favor her, and Phoenix never met someone with that much control. Phoenix tried to shift his expression, but the others had caught on, and the mood seemed to dip. The tension spread, and Makoto looked towards Junko as well with a nervous expression. Kyoko followed his gaze, and her posture tensed up. She turned back to Makoto. 

Kyoko looked at Makoto. She was expressionless, yet her eyes swirled with a flurry of emotions. “I’m not just in this for you now,” she said to Makoto. “I have to see this case through, for my friends and for my father. This has gone on long enough. No more lies, no more secrets.” Kyoko turned towards Phoenix and flipped open her notebook. “Tell me what happened in court today.” 

Phoenix spared a brief glance at Makoto, who was clearly wounded by Kyoko’s words. Maya sighed softly, looking down, and Pearl, ever the romantic, sulked. Leon and Sayaka gave each other cursory glances, and Toko looked down at the floor. Komaru moved to speak, but Hiroko placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her head. She wasn’t wrong to feel how she felt. Everything she’d said was true. The hurt in Kyoko’s normally monotone voice was especially apparent, and it was jarring to hear. Everyone there watched as the supposed lovers drifted further apart, no one wanting to say anything to push them past the point of no return. Instead, Phoenix told Kyoko what had transpired in court, and watched as her face furrowed as she took notes. Phoenix was aware of footsteps nearing them as Edgeworth and Franziska walked over to them. 

“Detective Kirigiri,” Edgeworth said, his voice was sharp yet tired. He looked unrested as well, but he was put together. “Your tie is askew. We need to put on a strong front. Let me help.” Edgeworth adjusted Kyoko’s tie swiftly, and looked at her with an almost paternal concern. Phoenix was fascinated by their supposed dynamic, he hardly ever saw Edgeworth show such blatant concern like that. He really had come a long way from when they’d first met. Once he’d finished adjusting her tie, he stepped back and looked Kyoko in the eyes. “Are you up for this?” Kyoko nodded, and Edgeworth bowed. “Very well.” 

“What do you mean?” Phoenix asked. “Up for what?” 

“You have Miss Fey… both the one in lots of jackets and Maya,” Edgeworth said. “I’ve decided to let Detective Kirigiri be my co-counsel for this case. She will be by my side today in court. Franziska has relayed the details to me of what transpired today, and she informed me that Miss Ikusaba seems to be refusing to talk. That isn’t good, but other than that, good work, both of you.” Edgeworth gave Phoenix a nod. “I’d expect nothing more, Wright.” 

“Edgeworth… Junko has orchestrated everything until now,” Phoenix said. “She has to have more up her sleeve… and you weren’t even here to see the first part of this case. Junko’s grip over Mukuro, over the rest of the class was apparent. Are you sure you’re up to being here? Are you prepared? You look tired.” 

“You’re suddenly worried for me?” Edgeworth gave Phoenix a pointed stare. “I’m fully capable of handling myself. I have faced my father’s murderer. I beat him, and I will never have to face someone like him again. I’ve faced so many people worse than this insane high school girl. I will not bow in defeat to a mere child-” 

“-No, that’s wrong!” Phoenix shook his head. “Edgeworth, I’m not doubting you… but you’re doubting Junko and what she’s capable of. We just put away Dahlia Hawthorne, but I see that same evil lurking in Junko. No,” Phoenix shook his head, and he clutched his arms. “I see a worse evil. One we haven’t seen before. She is nothing like von Karma or Dahlia, and her age only helps us to underestimate her. So, if you’re going to take this case on from here, don’t you dare make that mistake!” Phoenix felt his words falling from his mouth in a frantic frenzy. He couldn’t let Edgeworth possibly make the same mistake they’d already made in this case. Underestimating the lengths that Junko would go to make them suffer. 

Edgeworth looked taken aback. “Wright,” he sighed softly. His grey eyes bore into Phoenix with a spark of worry and tenderness that made Phoenix compelled to hold his gaze. He could’ve stayed in that moment forever if Junko’s presence wasn’t still eating away at him, tainting every good feeling he had with the idea that she was waiting in the wings to rip it away.

“W-wow,” Toko stammered, looking between them, a blush creeping over her face. “This is-” 

“Don’t finish that sentence, please,” Sayaka sighed. “For all of our sakes.” 

Edgeworth sighed, brushing a stray lock of hair that fell in front of his eyes. He was still focused on Phoenix, and pointedly ignored Toko’s growing blush. “It is as if a spectre is looming over you, Wright..” 

“I feel like there is, honestly,” Phoenix sighed. “Junko… it’s like she’s looming over me. I’m not sure if I’m ready for this… and I didn’t sleep well at all either. I dreamt-” 

“-Maybe I should just do the whole case for you foolish fools,” Franziska said, shaking her head. She let her whip fly, and Phoenix felt the sting of the lash. “Wake up! Dreams are irrelevant! This is reality, in case you are too foolish to realize that, Phoenix Wright. Miles Edgeworth, you need to focus as well!” 

The whip flew again, both Phoenix and Edgeworth felt it’s bite. 

_ Crack _

_ Crack _

“You don’t have to do that,” Kyoko shook her head. “I think they get the message.” 

“I can admit, that whip gets the point across,” Leon commented, eyeing the whip with a grimace. 

“I second that,” Byakuya said with a nod. He touched his cheek, still a bit bruised. 

Franziska still held her gaze, looking from Phoenix to Edgeworth. “You both need to end this, for everyone here! You both have started this case, and I may have stepped in and totally upstaged both of you, but this is your case to close. You cannot let them down. Don’t be fools!” Franziska glared at Phoenix. 

“We won’t,” Edgeworth said curtly, holding his arm, where Franziska had whipped him. “After what she has done-” Edgeworth glanced briefly at Kyoko, “-She can’t be allowed to get away with anything else. If this is where she starts, I don’t want to think of where she’d go from here. I will not underestimate her.” 

Phoenix felt a chill at what Edgeworth was implying. Junko wasn’t going to stop making people suffer. Was he witnessing the beginnings of some terrifying killer, rising like a phoenix from the ashes? He resisted looking over at Junko again. Even the act of looking at her with worry was somehow fueling her fire, Phoenix thought. 

“Franziska’s so cool,” Phoenix heard Komaru sigh. “She could totally carry the whole case.” 

“You have an odd taste in idols, kid,” Hiroko muttered. 

“Sayaka is my favorite idol, actually-” 

“That’s not what she meant,” Makoto sighed. 

“She’s right, Mr. Nick,” Pearl’s voice was still quiet. “We have to win now. You can’t give up!” Pearl grinned and posed as if to flex her arm. “You can’t be scared! Here,” Pearl took out the Usami figurine. “Just take this and believe in hope, and Usami because she’s so cute!” 

Phoenix took the figurine and ruffled Pearl’s hair. “Thanks, Pearls. Usami protecting me will be like you protecting me.” 

“No, Pearl is staying by your side, Nick,” Maya said. “I-I’m not letting her go into the stands again this time. I’m going. She has to be by you this time.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Mystic Maya,” Pearl said, shaking her head. “I can go-” 

“-You should stay,” Makoto cut in. “I-I really think we could use Mia’s help to close this case, and you can channel her, right Pearl?” 

“She looks unwell,” Kyoko cut in. She pointedly didn’t look at Makoto. “Maybe Maya should try-” 

“No!” Pearl’s eyes flashed with determination, and a hint of vitality. “I can do it!” Pearl closed her eyes and concentrated. 

Everyone went silent as she murmured softly and closed her eyes. She knelt on the ground, Mondo’s jacket seemingly swallowing her up as she knelt. No one stirred. It seemed to be taking Pearl longer than usual to summon Mia. Her eyebrows twitched with frustration, and beads of perspiration gathered at her temple. Right as Phoenix was about to rouse Pearl, Mia appeared in front of them, filling out Pearl’s attire. She didn’t look as drained as Pearl did, but Phoenix noticed a difference. Mia looked more tired than usual, her hair seemed to sag and her eyes were slightly dulled. It stirred a dark memory in Phoenix’s mind, one that he didn’t like to reflect on. The last time he’d seen her like that… it wasn’t pleasant. 

“Pearl told me everything,” Mia said, looking at Phoenix with weary eyes. “This is serious, Phoenix. Junko is dangerous… and I appear to have two new jackets. The red one is really tight on me. This black one is rather nice, though,” Mia inspected the fabric with a small smile. “Is this Mondo’s jacket?” 

“You have a great memory, sis!” Maya beamed. “Mondo and Hina gave Pearly their jackets because Pearl was cold earlier.” 

“They would do that,” Kyoko remarked with a slight nod. She barely smiled. “I’m honestly surprised Pearl didn’t have more jackets on.”

“It is a very kind gesture,” Edgeworth said. “I think it speaks to who they are.” 

“Now that you mention it, I’m kind of cold as well,” Mia frowned. “I’d think Pearl’s nerves are still frayed. She seems weaker than before. It took her awhile to reach me.” 

“Court is reconvening momentarily!” the Judge said, filling in for the bailiff. “Everyone, please find your way back to your seats!” 

“Hey, you can do this, Nick! Now that everyone is safe, we can end this!” Maya gave Phoenix a smile and a nod. “You can do this, sis!” Maya gave Mia a quick hug before heading to the stands with the rest of the class. 

“Hang in there, Makoto,” Komaru said. “You’re almost home.” She gave him a light hug before leaving. 

“If you need a friendly face in the stands, don’t hesitate to look here,” Sayaka said with a smile. She took the pink bow from her uniform off. “Here,” she said, handing it to Makoto. “I know Mr. Wright already has Usami… but consider this another good luck charm. You’ll be safe with my psychic powers guarding you! Hehe.” 

“Thanks, Sayaka,” Makoto said with a smile. He took the bow and wrapped it around his left wrist. “Now I have three bows.” 

“Here, you should try and butch it up at least a bit,” Leon sighed, and he took a pin from his jacket and placed it on Makoto’s hoodie. “There, now you look way cooler.” Sayaka rolled her eyes with a smile, and Makoto grinned and thanked Leon. Leon turned to Phoenix and Mia. “Keep your heads up! You guys can do this!” Leon gave them a thumbs up, and both of them left. 

“D-don’t screw this up,” Toko said. “I-I believe in you guys… even Mr. W-Wright…e-especially Mr. Edgeworth.” Toko scurried off. 

“Here,” Byakuya handed Kyoko the pager. “I’d assume that you gave the other one to Gumshoe. If he has any news concerning the Headmaster, you’ll be the first to know.” Kyoko gave him a nod of thanks as her hands closed around the pager. “Don’t give in,” Byakuya said, addressing all of them. “You better not lose now.” Byakuya walked away. 

“You two made a promise to me,” Hiroko said to Phoenix and Edgeworth. “I don’t doubt you’ll keep it. I trust you both. Do this, and my son’s murder will be avenged. He was a good boy, you know. He had his faults… but he was good. I know it.” Hiroko put out her cigarette and walked off, her hands in her pockets and a grim expression on her face.

“Phoenix Wright… Miles Edgeworth…” Franziska placed her hands on her hips. “As much as I hate to admit it, you two are the most capable people here of bringing Junko Enoshima to justice… as for Mukuro Ikusaba… I intend to have her watch the trial, despite normal protocol that would have her wait in the lobby for a verdict. She will see the truth one way or another.” Franziska walked off towards Officer Ishimaru. She muttered something to him, and he nodded and walked off, leaving Franziska with Mukuro. 

“I want her to pay, Phoenix,” Mia’s features were surprisingly dark. “She did this to Pearl… made her weak and scared. I can still feel it now. She hurt my family… and I won’t forgive that. She’s hurt you all, I can see that. I’ll do whatever I can to help you stop her.” Mia turned to Makoto. “I never expected to hear what I did about you… you were lying about something… but you knew way more than I thought.” 

“You didn’t expect it because it was wrong,” Kyoko cut in. She crossed her arms. “The Makoto I thought I knew wouldn’t do something like that. Not ever.” Kyoko turned away from the group. “Come on, Prosecutor,” she said, walking off. 

Edgeworth sighed. “Good luck, both of you.” Edgeworth looked at Makoto briefly. “She still cares for you,” he said softly. “I saw her state at the hospital… and she’s managed to put it aside for this trial. She told me and Detective Gumshoe that she still cares for you… but she is angry that your lie has done so much harm… and that you didn’t trust her. There is a gleam in her eye when she talks about you, even when she is mad. It will take time and you better be prepared to put in the effort for her,” Edgeworth said curtly, before heading inside. 

“I’ll do whatever it takes to make this right,” Makoto said, and his features were awash in determination. “No matter how much time it takes, I’ll earn my friends’ trust again. I’ll earn Kyoko’s trust again.” Makoto looked at Phoenix. “Whatever I have to do to help, I’ll do it. I just don’t want Kyoko-or any of my friends-to walk away hating me.” 

“I don’t think she hates you,” Phoenix said. He looked Makoto firmly in the eyes, and he could feel a sense of hope as he regarded the lucky student. Phoenix smiled. “She’s just going through a lot, and you did lie. Don’t worry, though. It does take time, but I’ve learned that people come around, and when they do, you never let them go.” 

“Just like you and Edgeworth, right?” Makoto asked, a slight blush coloring his cheeks. “I hope we’re as close as you two someday… if she forgives me.” 

“Me and Edgeworth?!” Phoenix blushed, while Mia giggled. Makoto raised an eyebrow, seemingly unaware of what he’d implied. 

“Feenie…” Junko’s voice echoed across the lobby. The bailiff almost seemed in a trance, as if he were unaware she was talking. “It’s the last call, Feenie, the show’s about to start… and you don’t have a lot of time left. Trust me.”

“You won’t get away with this,” Makoto said, glowering. “You-” 

“You made your own bed, Makoto,” Junko shook her head. “Now you have to lie in it.” Junko turned to Mia. “The dead woman. How prophetic.” 

She turned and walked inside, and Phoenix could feel his morale sinking again. Junko had the type of presence that made him doubt everything, making him sink into despair with just a glance, a few words. Even Mia looked hesitant all of a sudden, this was the first time she was being introduced to the true Junko Enoshima, and she couldn’t wrap her head around it. Only Makoto stood firm, as both adults faltered under her unrelenting gaze. Everything she said had a hidden meaning, and Phoenix felt powerless whenever he failed to grasp it. She was only a high school girl, yet her presence was electrifying. It zapped his confidence and frayed his nerves. She’d be at the witness stand with all eyes on her, but he still didn’t feel safe. She was an unknown variable, and Phoenix had no way of knowing what tricks were up her sleeve. 

******************************************************************************

May 3rd, 1:00 PM

District Court

Courtroom No.3

“I see the class’s division hasn’t gotten much better since I last saw them,” Mia said, gesturing to the stands with a frown. “Ugh,” she said. “I can hardly move my arms in this red jacket. Hina and I are not the same size.” 

Phoenix looked up from where he was placing the Usami figurine on the desk. There were slightly different seating arrangements for the final trial. The first row had Hifumi, Celeste, Chihiro, Kiyotaka, Hina, Sakura, and Mondo. Chihiro was clutching the handkerchief that Phoenix had seen Celeste with, while he dejectedly typed into Alter Ego, who said something that made Chihiro shut the computer with a sigh, and even Celeste shook her head and placed a hand on the programmer’s back. Hifumi rummaged around in his backpack, and produced another handkerchief, only this one was embroidered with a Princess Piggles pattern. Upon seeing Mia down below, Hifumi’s face turned scarlet and he said something that made Celeste’s face curl with disgust and Chihiro sigh in disappointment. 

“Yamada, that’s very disappointing,” he heard Sakura say. 

“It’d be better if she were 2-D,” Hifumi said with a grin. 

“I’m not sure I want to know what he said,” Mia rolled her eyes. “He is an… odd kid.” 

“That’s a word for it,” Phoenix sighed. 

“Yo, Miss Mia!” Mondo waved from the stands. “The jacket suits ya!” 

“My jacket looks even better,” Hina fired back. 

“I hardly think this is the time for that sort of argument,” Kiyotaka cut in. “Besides, Mondo’s jacket is better regardless.” 

“You’re biased,” Hina rolled her eyes. 

“It’s nice to see you guys again,” Mia said with a sigh and small smile. 

“Ah, Miss Mia being diplomatic as always,” Celeste said with a nod. “You can tell us the truth, you know. You seem rather tense and unwell… I have remembered your cues from when we played together. Is something the matter?” Celeste looked at Mia with piercing eyes, and Phoenix raised an eyebrow. He could’ve sworn Celeste looked concerned, though he thought that if it were him instead of Mia looking troubled, she probably wouldn’t have cared. 

Mia sighed. “Nothing can get past you, can it, Celeste?” She shook her head with a small smile, but it faded. “I’m just thinking… and I’m worried that you all won’t be the same after this trial ends. As if something is waiting to break now…” Mia paused, and saw the looks of discomfort and sadness spreading across the ultimate’s faces. “Oh, and I was thinking about the jackets,” Mia hastily added. “I like them both for different reasons. Hina’s brings more color to my outfit while Mondo’s is more my size.” At least Mia tried to save the mood, Phoenix thought with a wince. A little late anyway. 

There were a few chuckles, but the reality of the end result looming soon put an end to their brief levity. The other students had stopped talking with the reminder that this case was happening soon. They were delaying the inevitable, Phoenix reasoned. This row was one of mistrust and denial, they either mistrusted Makoto or believed too much in Junko. Well, both Mondo and Sakura seemed to be in the middle of the road, with Sakura having the clearest head. However, they both had a hang up when it came to Mukuro that prevented them from being wholeheartedly in their corner. Mia leaned back on the desk with a sigh, murmuring about how unfair this whole case seemed. Phoenix had to agree. He almost didn’t want to see the aftermath of this case, but he had to push forward. 

He looked to the second row, which consisted of Makoto’s supporters (and theirs by extension). Toko, Komaru, Byakuya, Maya, Leon, and Sayaka. Toko was at the end, fiddling with craft scissors and eyeing both Edgeworth and Mia with a blush. She hid behind her hair as Komaru prodded her, presumably to ask what she was staring at. 

“What?!” he heard Komaru cry. “Franziska is way better than Edgeworth!” 

“Knock it off,” Byakuya said. “No one cares about both of your childish admirations of the prosecution.” 

“I-it’s far from childish,” Toko said with a small smirk. Phoenix shuddered on Edgeworth’s behalf. 

“You better not be thinking about my sister like that,” Maya said with a frown, peeking out from next to Byakuya. 

“Y-you’re not the boss o-of me,” Toko shot back. “She’s g-got a-ample-” 

“Shut it!” Leon’s voice cut through, His face was scarlet. “She can probably hear all that gross stuff, y’know.” 

“Guys, focus!” Sayaka said. “We’re here to cheer on Makoto! Even if… some of us aren’t known for cheering,” she cast a pointed look at Byakuya, who rolled his eyes. 

“It’s nice to see them all supporting Makoto,” Mia said. “He’s quite a kid… if he can bring them together despite this group clearly being very different.” 

“Yeah,” Phoenix nodded. “You’d never even know that just yesterday, Leon punched Byakuya. Even now… he can still bring people together.” 

“He did?! Pearl didn’t tell me that!” 

“It’s a long story… maybe later.” 

Phoenix’s eyes wandered to the other side of the court. Across from them, Edgeworth and Kyoko sorted papers on their shared desk. Kyoko’s eyes kept flitting to the pager that she’d attached to the pocket of her jacket. Despite her seemingly cool features, there was a hidden worry behind everything she did. Edgeworth seemed to sense it too, he said something to Kyoko that alleviated the tension in her posture, just slightly. 

“That poor girl,” Mia sighed. “This ordeal… her own father being poisoned and her friend dying; Makoto lying to her for days… talk about a horrible debut as a detective. I know what that’s like,” Mia said with a sigh, no doubt thinking back to her first case. 

Terry Fawles dying on the stand, an infamous black stamp on her career, and still a lingering regret. Would this case be the same for Kyoko? Phoenix felt awful, she was still a high schooler. She didn’t deserve to have something like that on her conscience, not this soon. She could lose so much in this case, Phoenix thought. The respect and friendship of her peers if something goes wrong, her father, her trust in Makoto… yet she stood prepared and as poised as she could muster. She really was a detective with an iron will, Phoenix thought. He’d never stop being impressed by her. Undoubtedly, Edgeworth was impressed too. 

Phoenix looked towards the stands and saw Franziska sitting stone-faced next to Mukuro, who was in handcuffs, no doubt because of her talent and admitted involvement in the crime. Mukuro’s expression was lined with discomfort, as she clearly didn’t want to be there. She didn’t want to hear Junko speak, and she certainly didn’t want to face her classmates, who were unaware of her presence, or Makoto, who pointedly avoided her gaze in favor of sneaking regretful glances at Kyoko, who avoided his gaze in turn. Phoenix briefly looked at his papers in embarrassment, he felt as if he were intruding on a silent lover’s quarrel, somehow being hashed out between three people, consisting of avoided gazes and pursed lips. Mia shook her head next to him and sighed. Hiroko and Officer Ishimaru sat below Franziska and Mukuro. Hiroko looked towards the witness stand with a fiery stare, as if willing Junko to drop dead on the spot, while Officer Ishimaru spared glances back at Mukuro as if to make sure she wasn’t going to make a break for it. 

Phoenix saw Junko being led up to the witness stand as the Judge walked up to his seat. The bailiff took Junko’s hand, like a servant leading a queen to her throne, and escorted her to the witness stand. Junko beamed at him, and the bailiff grinned back with a nod. Phoenix’s heart hammered in his chest. There was something very wrong there. Makoto tensed up and began to sweat as the bailiff glared at him as he left to stand by the door. He saw Edgeworth crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow as Kyoko muttered something to him, and Mia shook her head. 

The Judge took a seat with a sigh. “Court is back in session for the trial of Makoto Naegi… oh! Prosecutor Edgeworth, you’ve returned!” The Judge gave him a slight nod. “I’m glad to see you, and you’ve brought Detective Kirigiri as well!” 

“Yes, Your Honor,” Edgeworth bowed. “Detective Kirigiri will be acting as my co-counsel in this case. I was previously attending to the Headmaster’s condition, which I can’t discuss further at this time. However, we-” Edgeworth motioned to himself and Kyoko. “-have left someone we both undeniably trust by his side to inform us of his condition as soon as he can. We decided to see this case through, and we are up to date on what happened.” 

“Worthy!” A voice boomed. Her voice. It was deeper than usual, but it sounded abnormally jovial. Phoenix turned to where Junko was, but her hair was spiked up, and she had on a pair of glasses. She clapped her hands and laughed. “So nice of you to grace this court with your appearance, Worthy!” 

“W-what are you doing?” Edgeworth tensed up. 

He always had tensed up whenever Gant spoke to him, Phoenix realized, like he’d been afraid of that man and his power. Gant was imprisoned now, but it was as if he was being channeled in a way by Junko. The mannerisms were identical, Junko held herself in the same way he did, clasped hands, unnerving stares that made the courtroom’s air grow stuffy and stale. Phoenix felt a spike of intimidation run through him as Junko fixed her tie in the same way he always did. She’d even perfected his unsettling smile, his barking laughter, the way he seemed to tower over everyone as he radiated power. It made him feel insignificant, as if she were going to crush him under her heel. 

“Don’t act coy,” Kyoko scowled. “You’re on trial. Don’t hide behind a character.” 

“Hide? Character?” Junko’s booming laughter sent shivers down Phoenix’s spine. She looked at Kyoko with Gant’s signature stare. “I’m just making myself heard…. Speaking a language Worthy here is familiar with, y’know? I just wanted to let him know I won’t be pushed around like all those other witnesses he threw right in front of the bus for Wrighto here!” Junko laughed again, clapping her hands, grinning at Edgeworth, who grit his teeth and steadied himself. This was what Phoenix was afraid of, he never knew what Junko was going to pull, and it seems like she was already targeting Edgeworth. 

“Don’t let her psyche you out this early,” Mia said. She glared at Junko. “If she’s starting out with a facade, we’ll just have to expose it right away. She breaks character, she loses credibility.” 

“This witness certainly is unusually lively,” the Judge said. “Might I say, you sound quite familiar as well! Like an old friend!” The Judge sighed. “It is oddly comforting… in a way. I have mixed feelings about this friend…” 

Comforting?! Phoenix couldn’t be more on edge than he was right now seeing Junko like this, and it was comforting to the Judge?! Well, he had been friends with Gant, but he’d put that aside to convict the man. Was there a part of the Judge that missed that friendship? Would Junko exploit that? Was playing the part of Damon Gant meant to endear her to the Judge, or to rile up Edgeworth? 

“Aw, Udgey!” Junko clapped her hands in front of her with a wide grin. “I’m delighted you feel that way. I’d love to be your friend once we sort this out. You seem like a man who’d enjoy talking about law and having a nice swim with a friend… how jolly!” 

“Udgey was the nickname he used too, how quaint!” The Judge said. “I would like a swim once this whole thing is over… I know a great spot too! My old friend and I used to go all the time, well, before he made some very poor choices.” 

How dense can this guy get, Phoenix thought with a sigh. If Damon Gant was a teenage girl, this was it. Phoenix wasn’t sure how the Judge wasn’t seeing the clear line between mannerisms and speech patterns, especially considering how close he’d used to be with Gant. He must be going senile, Phoenix reasoned. 

“Witness, no, suspect.” Edgeworth shook his head, visibly trying to steel himself from the unexpected cameo of his former boss. He’d beaten Gant, Phoenix reminded himself. Edgeworth stood up to Gant before, and he could do it again. “You are a suspect,” Edgeworth said curtly. “Give us your name and school year and give us a clear testimony that will show why-” 

“-Worthy,” Junko held her tie and glared at Edgeworth in a way that made Edgeworth’s face go pale. “You don’t need to go on in such a spiel. It’s embarrassing, much like you. I know what I have to do, and I want to spare Udgey’s ears from this drivel that he’s heard a thousand times. After all, it’s almost time to go swimming, right Wrighto?” Junko gave Phoenix a wide smile. “You’ll need time, after all. Pool’s crowded today.” 

“Answer the question, and provide your alibi, now!” Kyoko’s hand slammed the desk in a way similar to how Edgeworth’s did, her face flared in anger. “We’re not here to play games with you!” 

Junko rolled her eyes and clasped her hands together. “I’m Junko Enoshima, and I’m the Ultimate Fashionista!” She grinned and barked that horrible laugh. “I’m in my final year of Hope’s Peak Academy. As for my alibi, I’d like to discuss something else instead. It concerns evidence law,” Junko adjusted her tie to glare at Kyoko. “Are you aware of that, Kyoko? Or are you still a bit green to how this all works? See, my sister, the actual criminal here, was caught a bit off guard by some evidence presented by Wrighto here.”

“I know more about law than you ever would, Junko,” Kyoko glared. 

“Do you?” Junko tutted, not breaking her signature smile that seemed to tear at her face. “I think you of all people would’ve seen this coming then… or did you not hear me? C’mon, Kyoko!” 

“You will address me as Detective,” Kyoko said, her voice remaining level. “This is a court of law after all, and you will address me by my proper title… assuming you are as aware of these proceedings as you’re making yourself out to be.” 

“Oh, Detective.” Junko grinned and clapped her hands. “Oh, how jolly! I’ll admit, I’m impressed you’re here at all… this case isn’t easy for a mere schoolgirl, oh, should I say, a Detective.” Junko’s tone was mocking, hiding behind a thin veneer of Gant inspired fake pleasantries. “I feel for you, and your despair, I truly do,” she said. She no longer looked imposing, just for that moment. She looked… like herself, but the moment vanished in the blink of an eye.

“She broke character there…” Mia’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not sure what that meant… but did you see the way her posture was no longer exaggerated. She meant that.” 

“What does that mean?” Phoenix asked. 

“Wrighto!” Junko clapped her hands and was fully in character again. “When you did your investigation and peeked around in the rooms of a few teenage girls, was that sanctioned by any officers of the law? Did you have any special permission to be there?” 

“Why does that matter?” The Judge asked. “We have already used evidence that Mr. Wright obtained in our previous proceedings.” 

“That’s just the problem Udgey,” Junko sighed. “See, evidence law states that no evidence should be shown without approval of the police department. How could the police be knowledgeable about, let alone, approved evidence from a place that wasn’t even cordoned off to investigate? You see, minus Hiro’s room, none of our rooms were open for access. You know, to preserve the privacy of our youth. I for one, am thinking of installing a Monokuma themed church organ in my room. I feel like playing one all of a sudden.” Junko gave Gant’s sneer as she adjusted her tie again. Her eyes bore into Phoenix, and he felt a chill run up his spine. “All of your evidence gathered from the rooms is unauthorized, and therefore void. You’ve broken evidence law, Wrighto. Or should I say, Wrongo! Eh…” Junko crossed her arms. “That wasn’t a very good pun.” 

“She must’ve memorized everything on those files,” Mia grimaced. “Including evidence law… that’s amazing. It’s horrible, but amazing. Her intelligence…” Mia crossed her arms, and she gripped the desk so hard, her knuckles whitened. She closed her eyes, and a few beads of sweat began to form on her face, making her look almost sickly. 

“Mia?” Phoenix asked, concern creeping into his voice. “What are we going to do? If this invalidates Mukuro’s earlier testimony then everything is lost… are you okay? You look-”

“-It’s nothing,” she said. “I-I just… felt a bit lightheaded for a second. I-I’m trying to think if there’s a way around this-” 

“OBJECTION!” Edgeworth said suddenly, slamming his hand onto the desk. “Miss Enoshima, I see what you’re trying to do. You want us to invalidate everything we’ve worked so hard to get, and quite frankly, it’s not happening.” Edgeworth glared at Junko. He radiated with a newfound confidence, and he appeared to have gotten over his initial shock of seeing Junko’s impersonation. “You’re forgetting the second rule of evidence law, in that if the evidence is indeed unregistered, or in this case, seemingly gotten through an unofficial section of the investigation, it can still be used if it is relevant to the case. As far as this court is concerned, all the evidence Wright has presented has been relevant to the case and in fact helped us pinpoint Miss Ikusaba’s involvement, and your murder.” 

“Besides,” Kyoko cut in from next to Edgeworth, giving Junko an identical glare. “Your point is irrelevant regardless. Evidence law wouldn’t apply here, as the school was an open investigation ground. It’s true that the prosecution and police only cordoned off certain areas of the school for specific investigation, but there were police all over the school, so the prosecution had full jurisdiction to turn any site into an investigation site, as they had control of the school regardless. Your point is weak, and it doesn’t stand. As long as it’s at the school or it’s relevant, any evidence presented is fair game.” Kyoko slammed a gloved hand on the desk. “You were trying to throw us all off, and steer the trial off course. It won’t work.” Kyoko turned to the Judge. “Your Honor, Miss Enoshima has to testify, now. Enough with this pointless nonsense.” 

“I’m sorry, Miss Enoshima,” the Judge frowned. “I must agree with the prosecution, despite your beauty and nice nicknames that have brought up memories. I will have to ask for your testimony and how it can refute your supposed guilt.” 

“NOOO!” Junkoo yelled, and it was as if a god were screaming with furry, her aura radiated with power as she hunched over the podium. 

She fell to her knees below the podium. Did they just… win? Already? Phoenix’s gut was still twisting with dread. It couldn’t be that easy. Surely enough, Junko popped back up with a serious expression on her face. Junko slicked her hair all the way back, pinning it into place with her clips. She took off her glasses, popped her collar, and stood up straight. Phoenix tensed up. 

“Sorry,” she said with a frown. Her voice was still abnormally deep, and if anything, it was even deeper than before. “but I really think that if someone tries to do something unlawful, they should be called out. It’s Phoenix Wright’s fault for creeping around in teenage girls’ rooms regardless. Don’t be a creep, Wright.” She wagged a finger in his direction and Phoenix felt a sudden chill. 

“S-she’s not Gant anymore,” he murmured. 

That deep voice, the annoying finger wag, the way Junko’s eyes bore into everyone with such contempt, her deep grimace… she was von Karma now. She must have realized she needed to get more personal with Edgeworth, and von Karma was the medium she’d chosen. He cast a worried look to Edgeworth, who hadn’t caught on yet. He glanced at Franziska, whose mouth was shut in a tight line, her posture stiffened. She knew. He was her father, after all. Franziska’s eyes narrowed, but she seemed to be more concerned with Edgeworth, as she looked down at him with what Phoenix could’ve sworn was worry. Mukuro’s eyes briefly flitted to Franziska, and she looked down at the floor, clearly guilty. 

“She didn’t break, she just changed,” Mia said with a frown. 

“Anyway, once I give my testimony this whole thing will be cleared up in three minutes!” Junko snapped her fingers. “Testimony! Now! That’s what you should be saying right now, boy!” Junko glared at Edgeworth. “How… even with you being raised by the best, and being the demon prosecutor, are you so soft?! Your father was soft too, you know. He was weak like you!” Junko pounded the wall behind her with her fist. “Don’t rely on Wright, a mere pathetic defence attorney to carry you through this one! Don’t you dare keep on doing his job for him either, this guy-” Junko pointed straight at Makoto, “-is none of your concern! Just because you’ve got that pathetic, lovey-dovey detective girl next to you, whispering in your ear to save the boy-” 

Kyoko glared at Junko. “I’m a professional. Ma-the defendant’s relationship to me is irrelevant right now. Prosecutor Edgeworth isn’t being influenced in any way. We’re both professionals, I can assure the court of that.” 

Junko wagged a finger at Kyoko. “Then act like a professional and stop harassing witnesses for Wright! Prosecuting isn’t a team sport! Me, myself, and I! Just a piece of advice… heed it well.” Junko’s glare was unrelenting, and she looked at Edgeworth with contempt and malice. Edgeworth’s confidence evaporated in front of everyone as his eyes widened with recognition. Phoenix’s heart sank as he saw Edgeworth shake. 

“Testimony,” Edgeworth barely croaked out. “Say your piece… now.” Edgeworth managed a small glare. “I will not be soft with you, and you will address me properly.” 

Junko glared at Edgeworth and clutched her right shoulder. She suddenly stood up straight and puffed out her chest. “My alibi is simple. I am in these photos with Celeste and Hifumi. I was in the media room the whole night of the murder. I couldn’t have killed Hiro. End of story.” Junko snapped her fingers. “Judge! Verdict, now! Get me off this damn stand, and give Edgeworth the penalty his father should’ve gotten years ago!” 

“Don’t talk about his father like you knew him,” Kyoko cut in with a glare. She almost seemed… protective of Edgeworth in his state. “I won’t let you. Stop hiding behind the veneer of Manfred von Karma and talk to us like Junko Enoshima.” 

“I am being Junko,” Junko’s glare hardened. Von Karma rarely smiled either, Phoenix remembered. “Junko is many different things… and you-” Junko turned to Edgeworth, who was still pale. Kyoko was murmuring to him, but he remained motionless. Junko was trying to break him first, Phoenix thought. She hadn’t even gotten to him yet, and that worried Phoenix. 

Junko placed her hands on her hips, glaring at Edgeworth. “-You need a highschool girl to defend you. You truly are your father’s pathetic son. From his ashes rises… a nothing.” Junko shook her head and snapped her fingers. “Judge! Verdict!” 

“Miss Enoshima,” the Judge sighed. “Your attitude has changed for the worse but-” 

“OBJECTION!” Mia cried, her voice hoarse. “Your Honor, we still need to cross examine. We have proof that Miss Enoshima is lying.” 

“Miss Mia, if your contradictions are as weak as you are right now, there should be nothing to worry about.” Junko wagged a finger at Mia. “I will, however, answer your questions, even though it would just be a waste of time.” Junko glared at Phoenix, and he tensed up, a familiar hatred for the man who’d tormented Edgeworth coursing through his veins. “Truly, do you also need some girl fighting your battles as well? This is pathetic.” 

“Miss Enoshima,” Phoenix started, “You said that you were in the game room the whole night. However, as I claimed before, your alibi is a giant falsehood. You were never in the game room. That was Mukuro pretending to be you-” 

“-OBJECTION!” Junko’s deep voice reverberated around the courtroom, and time seemed to freeze. No one said a word. She pointed at Phoenix. “Are you still going on with that delusional theory of yours, Phoenix Wright?! You have learned nothing.” 

“W-what’s up with Junko?” he heard Hina say from the stands. “She’s starting to scare me.” 

“She’s… being really weird right now,” Chihiro mumbled. “S-she’s not even trying to be… normal.” 

“What is Junko’s normal anyway?” Leon shrugged. “Is this what she’s always been like? A, uh, deep voiced jerk?” 

“No,” Byakuya said pointedly. “She’s putting on a farce to mess with Prosecutor Edgeworth… and it’s working. She was his two greatest adversaries, two men who drove him to his lowest points. Damon Gant and Manfred von Karma. He probably thought he’d dealt with them for good.” 

“Phoenix Wright!” Junko snapped her fingers, turning to point at him. “I have a problem with you trying to foolishly smear my good image.” 

Junko tilted her head, and hair fell over her left eye. “I’m refreshing as a spring breeze, after all.” Junko’s voice was lighter, and she had a relaxed smile. “Hold on a sec, I’m gonna say my piece, okay?” Junko slicked her hair back again, and her posture grew rigid. 

“W-what was that?” Phoenix felt bewildered. It was blink-and-you’ll-miss it, but he could’ve sworn… 

“You claim that was Mukuro,” Junko said, crossing her arms with a grimace. Her voice was deep, von Karma was back. “However, how is that possible? That is clearly me in those photos. How could you possibly deduce that it wasn’t me? Besides… didn’t my sister already confess? Why are we dragging this out? You of all people shouldn’t want that, Wright!” Junko snapped her fingers. “Do I need to taze some sense into you, fool?!” 

“No!” Phoenix steeled himself. If Edgeworth was being targeted right now, he needed to be strong for both of them. “You could’ve easily disguised Mukuro. Mukuro’s confession was false. She admitted to being a part of the crime in her testimony, and I will say that it would have to take her cooperation for the plan to work. You only needed your ultimate talent and the skills it would provide you to make her a quick disguise.” 

“What are those skills then?” Junko glared at Phoenix and snapped her fingers. “Answers, now!” 

“Answer her!” The Judge pleaded. “She’s starting to get really scary!” 

“You had makeup and wigs in your room,” Phoenix said. “In fact,” he got out the wig he’d had on him in evidence, and the foundation he’d swiped from the room. “You used these things specifically to disguise Mukuro. You had to cover her hair, obviously, and you also had to use the foundation to cover her freckles… and the tattoo on her left hand.” 

“Her tattoo,” Junko shook her head. She picked up the photograph of Mukuro from Makoto’s album. “You mean this one, right? If that were the case, she could’ve easily worn gloves instead of having foundation on her hand. However, in these pictures on Hifumi’s camera, I am not wearing gloves-” 

“OBJECTION!” Edgeworth suddenly shouted. His voice was shaky and unsure, and he looked at Junko. He instinctively shrank back, but he took a deep breath and steadied himself. “You’re trying to confuse us again, Miss Enoshima. You do not wear gloves normally,” Edgeworth gestured to her hands, which were gloveless. “If you sent Miss Ikusaba in there with gloves, you risked questions being asked. The foundation was thought to be easier… and in fact, Miss Ikusaba wore gloves in court today to…” Edgeworth stopped. Something in his expression faltered.

“What are you doing?” Kyoko asked, giving him a nudge. “You were on the right track-” 

“-He realized what I did long ago,” Junko said with a finger wag. “That he’s worthless.” 

Junko placed her glasses back on, and clapped her hands, her hair spinking up. “Un-Worthy even!” She barked laughter, clapping her hands with childish delight. “The demon prosecutor who relied on the teachings of a murderer and the forged evidence of another murderer! Your career that was built on the blood and tears of others… and you just think that you were going to add my tears to the list, huh, Un-Worthy?” Junko adjusted her tie with a glare that sucked the life out of the room. Phoenix felt like he was going to choke as the air became stuffier and stuffier. Mia wheezed next to him, and Edgeworth’s breathing seemed more panicked. Even Kyoko looked on-edge. Junko shook her head and clasped her hands together. “You realize that the tangent you were going to go on was utterly pointless, just like your life. Chasing a justice that only hurt and alienated others. Even now, you search for a truth that will hurt innocents.” 

Junko changed again, this time adjusting her glasses in a way that made her seem less threatening. Her eyes grew softer, but almost more worn. Her posture radiated with a sense of… paternity. “You have hurt so many, Miles. When will you finally realize what you are? A demon… a demon whose ideas of justice were shaped by murder and forged in the fires of dishonesty. Why would anyone be proud of that? Was that what anyone would want? Maybe it’s a good thing he died in that elevator. Seeing you here, pushing for the imprisonment of an innocent fashionista… he’d hate it, and you know it. He’d hate you.” 

Junko slicked her hair back again.Von Karma. “You are me.” 

Junko laughed and clapped, adjusting her glasses. “You’ll always have us there, Worthy! We’re behind your every move!” 

“Stop it,” Edgeworth protested weakly, but Phoenix could see his confidence draining from him. His eyes, which normally were alive with a quiet intelligence and calm that entranced him, looked devoid of life. He trembled. “I-is that still what I am, Wright? When you look at me… do you still see them?” Edgeworth looked dully at Phoenix.

“That’s not true, Prosecutor,” Kyoko said quickly from Edegworth’s side, before Phoenix could get a word out. She placed a gloved hand on his shoulder. “The Prosecutor Edgeworth who sat by my side in the hospital, who comforted students and did his best to be compassionate is not a demon. The prosecutor that I saw helped Taka and Toko through their testimonies, he understood their hurt and apprehension. He helped me tow the line between professionalism and my job-” 

“-Miles,” Junko looked at Edgeworth with the same soft gaze that she’d just had. She buttoned up her shirt all the way, and sighed, adjusting her glasses. “She doesn’t truly know. None of them do. None of them truly saw the lows you’ll sink to. You’ll smear anyone… you’ll hurt anyone in your path, all for a truth that you like. A truth that will fit with your horrid justice.” Junko looked at Kyoko, and shook her head. “You don’t know this man… no matter how much you read. You have no idea what he’d do to prove his point, to win a measly case.” 

“He’d used forged evidence,” Junko laughed, clapping her hands.

“He’d lie and cheat,” Junko barked in a deep voice, clutching her right shoulder.

“OBJECTION!” Phoenix cried. “I know Edgeworth! You’re the one trying to smear him. He’d never sink to the lows you’re describing-”

“-He would,” Junko’s voice became airy, and once again, hair fell over her left eye. “Mr. Lawyer, dude, I’m just a ditz… but even I get it. You knew him enough to see what he could do. Updated autopsies don’t just write themselves, y’know? Maybe the fact that you’d defend someone who’d try to cover up the death of someone so close to you…” Junko gestured to Mia, who grimaced. 

The remaining color drained from Edgeworth’s face as he looked at Mia, and Phoenix felt a pang of guilt in his gut. He’d never talked to Mia about Edgeworth’s role in trying to deny her death… he hadn’t thought about it. He snuck a glance towards Mia, who pulled up the collar of Mondo’s jacket, refusing to meet Edgeworth’s gaze. A hint of anger sparked in her tired eyes, and Edgeworth’s features radiated with guilt. 

“Does that say something about you too?” Junko crossed her arms, coyly smiling at Phoenix. “Your blind adoration of a man who doesn’t exist instead of acknowledging his true nature?” Junko pushed her hair back, and revealed a wolfish smile. “A facade, perhaps? You love someone who doesn’t exist.” 

“Love?” Phoenix felt his face flush. He looked at Edgeworth, who was frozen in place. He didn't even seem to be aware of where he was. He looked towards Mia. “Mia… do you hate Edgeworth?” he murmured. “His role in prosecuting Maya… do you still think about that? I’m sorry Mia, but-” 

“-I-” Mia crossed her arms. “I was never angry at Edgeworth. He was just another pawn in that system. Besides, I’ve seen him do so much good since then. He cares for all of you so much now, especially you, Phoenix. I could never hate someone who makes you so happy.” Mia placed a hand on Phoenix’s shoulder, and Phoenix shuddered from the cold. 

“You looked so angry just a second ago,” Phoenix said. “I thought you were directing it at Edgeworth.” 

“No,” Mia shook her head. “I just realized something about one of Junko’s impersonations… and it disgusted me. She did something so personal just to taunt Edgeworth… it made me sick. She was being Gregory Edgeworth whenever she spoke softly… but how would she know about him?” 

Gregory Edgeworth… no wonder. Edgeworth was silent, his shoulders were slumped, and Kyoko was talking to him softly, but he didn’t even seem to be listening. He stared lifelessly at Phoenix, and Phoenix felt his heart drop. Edgeworth’s expression reeked of a quiet, yet devastating despair. He could see Edgeworth holding his head, as if he was trying to snap out of it, but Junko’s words struck a chord inside of Edgeworth. A chord he tried so hard to ignore and move past, but it refused to leave him, and Junko was playing it like a fiddle. Phoenix looked at Makoto, who was at a loss for words. He’d hardly talked to Edgeworth, he wouldn’t know what to say. Phoenix looked to see Franziska abandoning the handcuffed Mukuro to rush down to the first row. Phoenix saw something on her face he never thought he’d see. Guilt. 

“Phoenix, you can’t give in,” Mia rasped. “You have to fight this-” Mia coughed, and shook her head as Phoenix moved to put a hand on her back. She gave him a small smile, but Phoenix still felt a fog of worry as he looked at her. “I-I’m fine, but you need to focus on Junko. All of these personas come at a price, you know.”

“Yeah, I see what you’re saying,” Phoenix nodded. “I’ll use her own tactics against her.” Phoenix glared at Junko. He needed to be strong right now. He couldn’t give in.

“This is only proving one thing, Miss Enoshima, and it has nothing to do with Edgeworth. You’re digging your own grave,” Phoenix said with a scowl. “There were missing files, and you were the one who took them. You have to be involved in this crime, because you know so much about us. Even now, you’re pretending to be Matt Engarde, someone I defended once.” 

“Matt Engarde, the Nickel Samurai!” Hifumi said from the stands, his voice deep in a comical way. “I must admit, I preferred the Jammin’ Ninja with Juan Corrida!” 

“Didn’t something happen with those two guys?” Chihiro asked. “I remember reading about how they were rivals and stuff.” 

“Engarde killed Corrida,” Byakuya answered. 

“Mr.Wright defended a killer?!” Komaru said, clearly astonished. 

“Apparently, Mr. Edgeworth and Mr. Wright have both done unscrupulous things…” Kiyotaka said, disappointment lacing his voice. 

“If Junko isn’t lyin’ through her ass,” Mondo countered. 

“She’s lying about that!” Maya said emphatically. “Well… I mean some of the stuff is true but she’s totally twisting it!” 

“Order, order!” The Judge banged his gavel. “Mr. Wright…” The Judge sighed. “This debate is probably the messiest I’ve seen in all my years. It seems the defense can’t keep their points straight… didn’t the files appear in Miss Ikusaba’s room? Why would Miss Enoshima have anything to do with that?” 

“Aw, Udgey!” Junko clapped her hands and smiled. “You’re one step ahead as always! Good job!” 

Junko placed her hair back over her left eye, and she gave him a dopey grin. “Like, try and explain that one, dude.” 

“Simple, you made Mukuro hold onto the files for you,” Phoenix said. “That way, they wouldn’t be traced back to you. You’re showing knowledge of past cases, there’s no way you didn’t read them-” 

“Hold on a sec,” Junko got out a sparkly pink phone. “I’m gonna ask my manager, okay?” She pretended to say a few words. 

Mia scowled. “We’re done putting up with your-” 

“Puhuhuhu!” Junko procured a plush Monokuma doll and held it in front of her. “This is Miss Enoshima’s manager,” she said in a cartoonish voice. “This just in… Phoenix Wright is horribly wrong! This whole conversation is meaningless! Not only can you never truly prove I had those files before… what’s to say I haven’t read them already? These files are easy to access by any student in Hope’s Peak Academy! I could’ve read those old things years ago! I have no need to take those files! Why would I do something so stupid? Here’s my answer… so listen up!” Junko clutched the Monokuma doll tighter. “Mukuro is the one who took the files, plain and simple! In order to commit her crime, she wanted those files-” 

“OBJECTION!” Phoenix cried, slamming his hands on the desk in desperation. Anything to try and get the room back from Junko. “That’s contradictory to what I proved earlier in the trial with Mukuro! She hasn’t mentioned the files to us once, or tried anything related to our pasts written there, unlike you,” Phoenix said. “Plus, she never had the complete set. You see, the envelopes were missing when we went to her room.” 

Junko threw aside the Monokuma plush, and Engarde looked at him once again. “She said she put them under the door of some student,” Junko said with a coy shrug. “She admitted to getting rid of those, dude. C’mon. Your reasoning sucks.” 

“Not quite, Miss Enoshima,” Mia said quietly from Phoenix’s side. She wrapped Mondo’s jacket tighter around her body. She got a piece of paper from the court record. “Mukuro’s failed confession is transcribed roughly here, and she can’t even remember which student she would have slipped the file envelopes. See, if she’s supposedly confessing to a crime, like she’d be trying to do, there would be no reason to leave that out. That proves those envelopes were never in her possession to begin with. She had no control over where they went, so she couldn’t answer the question of where the envelopes-” Mia began to cough. 

“Sis!” Maya stood up with a distressed look. “Are you okay?!” 

Mia nodded. “I’m fine, but you really should be asking Junko that. Her reasoning is falling apart as we speak, and that has to be grating on her.” Mia turned towards Phoenix. “Finish this, Phoenix. Get her talking, and we’ll find more and more lies.” 

Phoenix felt a stirring of dread. Even when things were going right… something felt off. Looking at Mia seemingly getting weaker, did it have to do with Pearl? Had Junko rattled her confidence so much she was losing hold on Mia? Phoenix racked his brain, but he’d never seen a channeling look like this. Still, he had to press forward. This all was riding on him. He looked across the room at Kyoko, who gave him a brief nod. Let’s do this, Phoenix thought. 

“Miss Enoshima,” Phoenix said. “You know where the envelopes went, because you had them. You’ve been trying to use our pasts against us… you’re trying to break Edgeworth even now, and it’s not going to work.” Phoenix made eye contact with Edgeworth, and Franziska, who had stopped whispering to him. “Edgeworth… everything she’s saying isn’t true anymore. Your past wasn’t ideal… I know. The point is that you had people to see you through it, and you made the effort to change. Your justice isn’t cruel, it’s righteous now. You’re the Paladin Prosecutor, after all,” Phoenix said with a smile. “Every time I’m with you in court, I feel good, knowing that you’ll help justice be served, and you truly care about making things right. You’re a prosecutor, but that doesn’t stop you from doing the right thing when the moment calls for it. You never knew the evidence was forged, you had no control over what happened in that elevator. You already knew that, so don’t fall back now. Come back to us, we need you here… I need you here.” 

“Wright,” Edgeworth said softly. “You… you really are stubborn, huh?” Edgeworth’s lips turned upwards, a sad smile playing at his lips. “Even if I can’t truly be at ease… I won’t listen. I won’t let this derail the case.” Edgeworth looked at Kyoko. “I apologize, Detective. I wasn’t myself, and you deserve a better partner for this trial. I won’t fall back now.” 

“I know you won’t, Prosecutor,” Kyoko said, crossing her arms. “I have faith in you. You aren’t a monster… remember that. You aren’t cold and heartless either… I remember you telling me something similar as well.” 

“Oh, ugh!” Junko slid her hair back from her eye, and got out a glass of cognac. Come to think of it, Engarde had a penchant for making those appear out of nowhere as well. “This little display of false niceties changes nothing! Edgeworth is still a demon! You can’t prove if the files were ever in my possession! You lose!” Junko swirled the glass in her hands. “How can you connect me to this crime, Mr. Lawyer? Are you ready to face failure yet again?” 

“He won’t fail!” Makoto slammed his hands on his desk, his three bows billowing with righteousness. His pin flared in the courtroom light. “You’ve been pushing this trial in the wrong direction, and I can’t take it! You brought up the files and played up your knowledge, knowing they’d be a dead end, you can’t truly prove who took them. All we could say is that Mukuro didn’t-” 

“-Mr. Naegi,” the Judge started, “Is this-” 

“-I’m sorry, Your Honor, but I can’t keep quiet anymore,” Makoto said, glaring at Junko. “I’ve messed up badly. I lied to protect someone… and I inadvertently allowed all of this to happen. I’ve given Junko power and time, and I can’t take that back, but I have to help undo it! Hold me in contempt of court, I don’t care! I just can’t take it anymore!” Makoto pointed at Junko. “This whole thing was put together to break Mr. Wright and Prosecutor Edgeworth, huh? So they’d get sidetracked, and throw this whole trial off course, so you wouldn’t be convicted. You steered the conversation away from the photograph that would condemn you intentionally. You hid behind these personas, and based on how well you perform them… I think you read those files long ago. I just think the files were an elaborate taunt. Your Honor,” Makoto turned to the Judge. “We have to get back to talking about the photo! You’ve let Junko take control of the courtroom, and for the sake of justice, we can’t let that happen! Please,” Makoto’s eyes locked with the Judge’s. “My friend’s memory is riding on this outcome… and potentially the Headmaster’s as well.” Makoto looked briefly at Kyoko, whose gaze softened. Makoto turned back to the Judge. “Take control, Your Honor. Please.” 

“Udgey, you’ve been doing a great job-” 

The Judge banged his gavel. “Mr. Naegi… is right. I need to take control. Miss Enoshima… you need to stay on topic. We’ve been led down a dead end, and Mr. Naegi is right.” The Judge looked at Makoto with a twinkle in his eye. “As for holding you in contempt of court… I hardly think it’s necessary at this point. Your spirit reminds me of someone, and your bows are quite stylish.” The Judge looked at Phoenix with a hint of a smile.

“He’s extraordinary,” Mia murmured quietly. “He really is like you, Phoenix. He saw it too, that Junko was taking control of the courtroom. She tried to get us to play by her own rules, her own kind of testimonies. We can’t let that stand.” Mia leaned against the desk, steadying herself. 

“Yeah,” Phoenix managed a nod. “I think the Judge is actually starting to come around again,” he sighed. “I was afraid we’d lost him for good at first.” 

“So, Junko,” Kyoko said, crossing her arms. “Care to tell us about the photo, and the night in question? We won’t tolerate anything less.”

“Fine, jeez,” Junko’s hair was in her normal twintails, and her clips flashed with indignation. “I was with Celeste and Hifumi the whole time, though Celeste left halfway through and never came back. Suspicious, right? That’s it. We watched  _ Warriors of Hope vs. Despair  _ and played cards. That’s it. Meanwhile… poor Hiro was being killed. Such despair.” 

“You mention despair…” Edgeworth’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean by that?” 

“I mean, it’s really tragic,” Junko sighed. Phoenix saw a barely visible blush color her cheeks as she clutched at her sides, pointedly making sure to grip her sleeves and not bare skin. “Having to see a friend die like that… the life leaving their eyes as they lie cold… at least Mr. Wright gets to talk to his dead friend here… who isn’t looking all that lively right now. Seeing that tragic despair… it’s just so raw… so real… so-” Junko’s blush grew. “It’s…” 

“... what are you trying to say?” Phoenix asked tentatively. He didn’t like where this was going.

“It’s… not important to this case,” Junko said, way too hastily for his liking. “Aren’t you going to like, cross examine me or whatever?” 

“Mr. Wright, I would like to get to the cross examination, please,” the Judge said. 

Edgeworth took a brief glance into the stands behind him, where Franziska had returned to Mukuro’s side. Mukuro’s face was devoid of color, and she looked haunted. She was seeing the truth, Phoenix thought. Edgeworth gave Mukuro a calculated glance and whispered something to Kyoko, who gave a slight nod. 

“Miss Enoshima… before we continue,” Edgeworth said. “I can gather from your statements that you believe your sister to be the culprit, correct? Based on evidence found, it can be either you or her, unless you truly think that Mr. Naegi-” 

“-You really are after the cold truth, aren’t you, Worthy?” Junko sighed, her voice almost growing sad. “Fine. I do think it was Mukuro now… and I hate to say it. She’s my sister, and I love her truly… but it all adds up too well.” Junko shook her head. “Looks like lucky Makoto is off the hook again. I guess that’s good… I always liked him… in a way.” 

“That is the truth, then,” Edgeworth glared at Junko. “If you’re going to frame someone, you should really make up your mind, Miss Enoshima.” Edgeworth turned towards Phoenix with a nod. “I know you see the contradictions and lies in her simple alibi. Tell her, Wright.” 

Phoenix nodded back. “Junko. You said you were with Celeste and Hifumi the whole night, but that’s false.” 

Junko rolled her eyes, the stray hair falling back into place over her left eye. “I’m in the photo, Mr. Lawyer. I’m in all of them. That’s me, no denying it. Nothin’ off about it. I look a bit odd in that lighting though, my next headshot will be a Nickel Samurai theme…” 

“No, there is reason for doubt,” Phoenix countered. “I have a written affidavit from two students, Miss Celeste and Mr. Yamada.” Phoenix gestured to a sheet of paper in the court record. “They both detail how the Junko,” Phoenix made air quotes around her name, “Was acting quite strangely during their card game. She was worse than ever, and requesting pictures at every moment. That isn’t how someone who’s innocent acts. That’s how someone acts when they’re desperate for a detailed alibi, which I’m sure Mukuro was. You gave her specific instructions after all.” 

Junko shook her head. “Hold on a sec, I’ve gotta consult with my manager-” 

“-No more tricks,” Phoenix said with a glare. “You’re out of moves, and I’m not done backing you into a corner!” Phoenix slammed his hands onto his desk, and Junko looked taken aback. “I’m sure you remember the Security DVD I showed during Mukuro’s testimony, right?” Phoenix gestured to the TV and pressed play, the DVD still inside. He fast forwarded to when the students began to arrive at the dorms. “Celeste and Hifumi come in together,” Phoenix said, “But you come in suspiciously later. You were separated from them-” 

“OBJECTION!” Junko glowered at Phoenix, pushing her hair back with a wolfish snarl, cognac in hand. “That was for a brief period… and I didn’t say so earlier because of my affection for Mukuro. I saw her coming from the gym and I waited for her. I realized something was strange, but I didn’t want to assume anything about my dear sister. Once the pieces started to fit, I realized what she’d done,” Junko swirled the cognac around. “My sister, the murderer. Hah! A soldier just going through the motions… and she told the truth. I really tried to help her, huh? My bad!” 

“You’re still trying to force this narrative,” Kyoko scowled. “How pathetic can you be? You’re acting like a cartoon, it’s impossible to take you seriously.” Kyoko looked towards Phoenix. “You’ve got more evidence, show it.” 

Phoenix nodded. “Junko, your latest claim doesn’t even hold water. See, here’s what really happened. You did meet Mukuro in the gym, after you’d finished cleaning off the evidence of your crime and planting whatever needed to be planted, the scissors, the note, and Mukuro planted the card. You two met up at the gym to trade looks.” 

“Show me the proof,” Junko’s hair fell into place again, over her left eye. “Mr. Lawyer, dude. What are you doing? You’re going to let it happen again…” 

Junko pushed her hair back, and it fell down behind her. She batted her eyelashes. “Feenie, are you aware you’re running out of time?” 

“I don’t care how much time it takes,” Phoenix said, glowering at Junko. “I’ll take every word of yours apart.” Phoenix took the video and played it again. He paused on the screencap of Junko entering. “Here, you have your regular Monokuma clips in,” Phoenix said. He gestured to the photos. “Here, however, you’re wearing different clips! A bunny and a bow, to be precise.” 

“Feenie,” Junko smiled, her voice was soft and sweet. It made Phoenix’s stomach churn. “Does it occur to you that I could’ve changed accessories? My outfit does have pockets, you know.” 

Phoenix shook his head. “No, that doesn’t make sense. Why would you do that? Why would you bother? You love your Monokuma clips, you always talk about how you’d never part with them. You wouldn’t give them to anyone else, hence why you had Mukuro wearing different clips when she disguised as you. I’ve heard from your classmates, you never take off your clips, Junko. Even now… the way you use them to mock us, you’d never let them go.” 

“This all sounds like a bunch of crappy theories to me,” Junko sighed. Several black and white butterflies with red specks floated around Junko. “Is there anything else lame that you’d like to pin on innocent ol’ me, Feenie?” 

“You’re far from innocent,” Phoenix said, shaking his head. He referenced Hifumi’s photos again. “We can see a little black line if we zoom in close to the left hand of the supposed Junko in this photo,” Phoenix said. “If you look at the photos past this point, fake Junko’s-Mukuro’s-hand is in her pocket the whole time. There’s a simple explanation for that. Her foundation must’ve rubbed off, hence why she put her hand in her pocket. She was trying to hide her tattoo from the cameras and Hifumi, otherwise this whole scheme would’ve fallen apart!” Phoenix glared at Junko. “This is too strange for it to truly be you. The accessory changes, the odd behavior, the left hand in pocket, your fashionista skills, this all adds up!” 

“N-no way,” Hina murmured from the stands. “Junko really did it?” 

“It appears so,” Sakura said. “Everything said so far makes sense. Enoshima is hiding behind characters… and she plays on that. It seems like she took advantage of Ikusaba’s love,” Sakura scowled. “That is truly unforgivable.” 

“That still means Mukuro went along willingly,” Kiyotaka argued. “She is not blameless. Neither of them are...if Junko is truly unraveling.” 

“I can’t forget what Mukuro said…” Chihiro sighed. “When she said she’d kill me, did she mean it? If this is the real Junko… would Mukuro have still killed me if Junko asked?”

“It appears that maintaining her persona she used with us is no longer a priority for her,” Celeste tutted. 

“W-what does that m-mean?” Toko stammered. 

“It means that she is focused now on making this process as laborious as possible for Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth,” Celeste said. “She no longer cares to save face with us…”

“Then what is she planning to do?” Sayaka said. 

“Whatever she’s planning, it won’t work,” Maya said. “My big sis and Nick will foil her. If they don’t, Kyoko and Edgeworth will finish the job!” 

“Makoto too!” Komaru chimed in. 

“Order, order!” The Judge banged his gavel. “Miss Enoshima, can you refute Mr. Wright’s theory? This, combined with Miss Ikusaba’s faulty confession and your erratic demeanor is quite troubling.” 

Junko sighed. She glared at Phoenix, and the butterflies around her burned up into ash. “Phoenix Wright,” she growled. “It appears you aren’t done with your conjecture. So much time…”

“If time is what you’re concerned about, you should confess and spare us the trouble,” Kyoko said, crossing her arms. 

“No, no,” Junko shook her head, and the butterflies returned. She gave Kyoko a saccharine smile. “Why would an innocent girl confess? I was just going to ask Feenie here a question. If that truly is the case, I disguised my dear sister to play a game of cards in my place… where did everything go? Where would we even hide a wig? Where would we hide those clips, if we exchanged them? Why would we even bother doing this? If I were truly going to commit this crime, why would I not send Mukuro out to just do it, and take that sweet alibi for myself?” Junko batted her eyelashes. “Haven’t you been asking yourself those same questions?” 

“I have been wondering that very thing,” the Judge admitted. “It does seem… odd. There is a lot left unexplained. Mr. Wright, do you have any evidence that could explain this?” 

“We have to have the evidence already, Phoenix,” Mia said. “Think back. Was there anything strange already presented that doesn’t add up? Maybe-” 

“-I know exactly where that wig and clips went,” Kyoko said, before Mia could finish her thought. “If we look at the security DVD,” Kyoko gestured to the footage, “Mukuro comes in wearing Makoto’s hoodie that she borrowed. There would be no reason for her to do that… unless she was hiding something underneath, namely the wig and clips!” 

“Why couldn’t the killer have just thrown them away?” Mia asked. “Detective Kirigiri, you know the answer, right?” She gave Kyoko a slight smile. 

“Yes,” Kyoko nodded, meeting Mia’s gaze. Her lips barely turned upward, the two women were clearly on the same page. “If the killer, Junko, had disposed of the wig or clips in the trash can, she’d implicate herself in the trap clearly meant for Toko and Celeste. Implicating herself in any way was the one thing Junko couldn’t do. She left behind clues that pointed to Mukuro, Toko, Celeste, and even Makoto. However, she couldn’t let those be left behind, so she had Mukuro wear the cleaned hoodie, despite the risks of it still being wet. I suppose that shows how little she truly cares for Mukuro’s safety as an accomplice, she used her to hide evidence with no remorse. Mr. Wright, where did you find this wig and clips?” 

“I found them in Junko’s room,” Phoenix’s eyes widened with realization. “Which aligns perfectly with this theory.” Phoenix gestured to the hair clips as he lifted them up to show the court. “The bunny and bow clips still had hair on them, which was presumably from the wig, while all the other clips were unused, and Junko was wearing her regular ones.” Phoenix picked up the messy wig. “Also, this wig was crumpled in a drawer, not meant to be viewed. She thought that if she hid these pieces of evidence, we’d never put the puzzle together, but she underestimated all of us.” 

Makoto cleared his throat. “You guys are right, but I noticed something. According to the evidence, Junko left one thing that could be traced back to her in the garbage. The Monokuma mask, but she tore it up. Why would she risk that?” 

“Simple,” Edgeworth said. “You are smaller than Miss Ikusaba, so there is limited space under your hoodie for everything, and the Monokuma mask was split into fragments across different trash cans, so it would be harder to piece together. Besides, Miss Ikusaba took the blame for the mask and knew about it, so no doubt Miss Enoshima was in the clear. Also,” Edgeworth took out a piece of paper, “According to Miss Fukawa’s testimony, she saw something black and white, so there was no denying that. Miss Enoshima probably figured that the mask had already been discovered inadvertently, so it was best to cut her losses with that one, and trust Miss Ikusaba to pick up the pieces.” 

Makoto nodded. “That makes sense… but something else is bothering me.” Makoto placed a hand under his chin. “Why me?” He turned towards Junko. “From the way you set this up… it was like Mukuro was meant to take the fall, but killing Hiro when you knew I’d show up… I don’t get it. Which one of us were you trying to frame?” 

“Is that really important?” Junko sighed. She reached behind her podium and produced a white parasol, twirling it behind her as the butterflies continued to circle. “This whole thing is a convoluted mess. Why would I bother with this? Where’s my motive, Makoto? Why you indeed?” 

Makoto opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, a beeping sound went off. Kyoko’s eyes widened as the pager on her jacket began to blink. The courtroom went silent as she flipped it open. Her features were unreadable, and it was if her face was a mask of stone. She nodded, presumably listening to Gumshoe’s news. 

“Thank you for letting me know, Detective,” Kyoko flipped the phone shut. She turned towards Edgeworth with a stony gaze. “My father succumbed to his poisoning.” 

“Detective…” Edgeworth murmured. “I’m so sorry.” He placed a hand on Kyoko’s shoulder, but the girl didn’t even flinch. 

The courtroom went silent. No one could speak. Phoenix looked at Makoto, whose gaze was locked onto Kyoko, who was looking down at the floor. Makoto’s eyebrows were furrowed, and Phoenix raised an eyebrow. He thought Makoto would be more… guilty. Officer Ishimaru looked down at Kyoko with pity, and Hiroko shot Junko a withering glare. Franziska grit her teeth as she looked at Kyoko, and Mukuro looked numb, as if she truly dissociated from everything that had happened. Phoenix looked towards the stands at the ultimates behind him. All of them were stunned into silence, varying degrees of sorrow and horror littered their tired faces. The courtroom had been plunged into bitter despair once again, and Phoenix could feel her gaining power once again. Junko was thriving off of this, he realized. All of the ultimates in despair, she was reveling in it. She was still Dahlia, but a crazed grin and heavy blush had broken out over her face that even she couldn’t control. The butterflies flapped around in a manic frenzy. The courtroom had gone so silent, Phoenix could swear he heard the flapping of their wings, though it could’ve been the beating of his own heart. Phoenix heard a quiet cough next to him, breaking the silence. Then another one. 

Phoenix turned to face Mia. “Mia are you-” 

His blood ran cold. Mia was hunched over, blood was beginning to pool from her mouth. She coughed again, this time, it was louder and much more guttural. She hunched over further, and made a desperate grab for Phoenix’s lapels. She held tightly to him, and Phoenix shivered. She was as cold as ice. Phoenix looked into Mia’s eyes, and he saw confusion and terror, and he felt a cry forming in his own throat.

“P-phoenix,” Mia coughed. “W-what’s happening to me?” She turned to Junko, barely trying to stand up. “W-what did y-you do?” Mia descended into another coughing fit, and collapsed by Phoenix’s side.

“MIA!” Phoenix cried, breaking the tentative quiet in the courtroom. 

“B-blood!” Toko shrieked, and a muffled slam was heard as she crumpled in her seat.

“MIA! SIS!” Maya cried out, her voice breaking in distress. She ran down past the stands, tears already beginning to fall from her eyes. She stumbled her way past the ultimates, all of them helping her get down to the stands. 

“What’s going on?” Celeste demanded. Her tone was laced with worry, her voice even wobbling out of its normal accent. “Miss Mia is… dying.” 

“W-we need to get her to a hospital or something,” Hina cried. “We have to help her!” 

“Miss Mia was nothin’ but kind to us,” Mondo said, standing up. “I’ll get my bike, an’ we can get her there faster that way. I swear, I’ll get her there!” 

“It won’t matter,” Byakuya said. He looked at Mia and shook his head. “I should’ve seen i-” 

“-Woah!” Jill exclaimed, springing up. “Why does everyone look so fuckin’ on edge-oh shit! Milkmaid is looking really shitty… those big breasts are finally weighing her down!” 

“Stop it,” Byakuya snapped, and Jill went silent. 

“You,” Franziska’s voice cut like steel from across the room. She turned to Mukuro. “What do you know about this?” 

A sigh came from the witness stand. Junko held her hand over her eyes, her red nails just avoiding touching her face. She smoothed back her hair, and took a long sip from a cup of coffee that had appeared by her side. “I’d think you’d know the signs of a classic poisoning by now, Kitten.” Junko’s voice was smooth and seductive, and she smiled a familiar, worn smile at Mia that made the latter’s eyes widen with recognition. Her red nails glistened in front of her face. Godot would’ve never even known her nails were that brilliant, horrible shade of red. She turned to Phoenix, her eyes obscured. “Phoenix  _ Trite, _ ” she spat, “Are you ready to lose yet another Fey?” 

“Phoenix…” Mia rasped. “P-Pearl…” Mia’s face was growing paler, blood remnants still caked her mouth. She clutched at her arm weakly, and Maya rushed to support her. “P-pearl is losing her h-hold… Phoenix save her…” 

Mia’s features faded away, and Pearl’s features took her place. Maya wrapped Pearl up tight in Mondo’s jacket, and began to wail. Pearl was still and pale, barely breathing through wheezy ghasps. Phoenix had been so distracted by seeing Mia so weak and deathly, wrapped up in the horrible idea of his mentor dying in front of him yet again that he’d forgotten the true victim, Pearl. Pearl, who was so young and trusted Phoenix and Maya wholeheartedly to protect her. She’d walked into this courtroom that was plagued with death and grief every day without fear because she knew Phoenix would triumph… but now he’d failed her. He didn’t know how but…

“Pearly!” Maya sobbed. She held Pearl’s shivering frame in her arms. She turned to Junko. “What did you do?”

“Pearl!” Sayaka cried from the stands, tears beginning to spring from her eyes. “I-I was next to her the whole time… how did this happen?” Sayaka held a hand over her mouth to keep from sobbing, but her body shook with terror. 

“Dammit!” Mondo swore, his teeth clenched. ‘I-I was right fuckin’ there… an’ I promised Maya… this is fucked!” 

“How was she able to poison her?” Hifumi said, in a high pitched panic. 

“W-why…” Chihiro’s eyes pricked with tears. “I-I still wanted to trust Junko… but she did this a-and I just shut my eyes to it because I-I was weak…” Chihiro began to cry, “I-I’m sorry, Pearl!” 

“We all should’ve been more vigilant,” Sakura said, regret lacing her deep voice. “We all… failed. The Headmaster and Pearl Fey… Hiro too…” 

Hina sniffled. “Pearl is just a sweet kid! Why her? Why not… us?” 

“Damnit, Junko!” Makoto’s voice rang out in desperation. “Why would you bother with her? She’s just a kid!” 

“Feenie,” Junko drawled, ignoring the commotion in the stands. “You’re running out of time. This is between you and me right now. Disregard everyone else and listen to me. You can save Pearl… if you end this little trial right here and now. I haven’t and won’t confess to a thing, and why would I? I’ve done nothing but expose the truth behind who you are, Feenie.” Junko smiled at Phoenix, and he felt his insides churning with despair. 

“You’ve already let horrible things happen to the Feys,” Junko’s hair fell in front of her left eye. “Kidnapping, for instance. It’s a miracle Maya is even here! Weren’t you supposed to be looking out for her? You just let Matt Engarde hold her over you for days!” Junko laughed, taking out the cognac. “Not to mention the other times she was forced to sit in that detention center while her auntie manipulated everything around her. Sure, you defended her, but I think you’re the one who could’ve prevented so much too! Go with Maya when she has to take that lobby phone call. Insist on staying by her side during the channeling of Mimi Miney.” Junko shook her head and looked at Maya, and Phoenix went stiff. 

“Or,” Junko’s voice became rich and smooth yet again, a hand covered her eyes. “Are we even going to get into the debacle just a few months prior? She was trapped for days in an icy mountain… possessed by the woman who nearly ruined you, and had a vengeance against all Feys. Again, she could’ve died, and what did you do? You were helpless, trite. Pathetic.” 

Junko’s lips curled into a sneer, and Phoenix could see that other people were talking. Makoto was looking at him and saying something, but it was all static to Phoenix. Edgeworth’s lips were moving, but it was irrelevant. He was falling into a dark pit, Junko’s voice luring him deeper into the murky depths, and the voices of the court were growing more and more distant. Only Junko mattered. 

Butterflies began to fly yet again, and Junko held out a finger for one to land on. “Hawthorn’s Heartache. The antidote can still save her, it’s the only thing that will work at this point… maybe a hospital could’ve, if the poison hadn’t been inside her for so long already. I just happen to know that this poison works a lot faster than that Strike-10 stuff. Of course, I don’t admit to anything. See, here’s the rub, Feenie,” Junko smiled at the butterfly that landed on her finger. “You can stop this trial and acquit me. Arrest my admitted sister, or turn it back on your dear old defendant somehow. As long as I am proven to be innocent, as I am, there will be no problem, and I may happen to stumble upon the antidote for you. If you press on…” Junko lifted her other hand and smashed the butterfly on her arm, and it crumpled to the floor, twitching as the remains of life left its fragile body. 

Phoenix felt the room swirling around him. He could barely focus as the remaining butterflies flew around the Junko in a frenzied storm, and she grinned as they flew around her, crushing any bug that got too close. Each sickening crunch of butterflies made him more and more terrified for the equally fragile life of the little medium next to him. He couldn’t lose Pearl, but if he let Junko go free… what would she do next? What if she was bluffing and Pearl was dead already? How could this happen? How was he such a colossal failure that-

“-Bailiff!” Edgeworth shouted, loud enough to break Phoenix’s downward spiral. Edgeworth’s face was awash in horror and fury. “Arrest Miss Enoshima now and search her person for any poisons and antidotes!” 

The bailiff stood still. 

“Didn’t you hear the prosecutor,” Kyoko said, notioning towards Junko. “Arrest her!” 

The bailiff drew his gun, moving towards Junko. Junko grinned, and Phoenix felt his heart stop. 

“Is this the power you told me about?” The bailiff’s eyes were wide, and it looked as if a storm was brewing inside of him. He gasped as a butterfly landed on his hat. “The power of despair… Is this its true feeling? I see these people all the time… and I’ve never seen them truly fall apart like this…” The bailiff grinned, and he began to laugh. “It’s beautiful! I-I finally feel…”

“You can be so much more than a bit character in the background of someone else’s story,” Junko beamed at him, acting entirely as herself. There were no more butterflies left, all of them convulsing and dying at Junko’s feet. “All you have to do is watch despair’s true power, then you can finally see your own potential. Despair can set you free, and I will show you the way! Just… point your gun around so people get the message. More despair, y’know?” 

“Bailiff,” the Judge said. “I have never seen you like this! Please, compose yourself!”

“I’ve seen enough,” Officer Ishimaru spat from the stands and moved to take out his own gun, only for the bailiff to draw his as well. It was a stalemate. 

“Phoenix, you may have heard that a true lawyer smiles, no matter how bad it gets… and that’s not true. There comes a point where those smiles will run out, and you’ll have to accept despair,” Junko said. She flipped her tie around to resemble a sort of scarf, and styled her hair loosely around it. She touched her face lightly, only to reveal a fake beauty mark she’d stuck on. Mia. “Phoenix, don’t fail me again. You’ve let down so many people in your life… how could any woman truly count on you? You already saw me die once, killed by your own friend’s creation. You’ve gotten my sister kidnapped, my cousin poisoned. Don’t let her die, Phoenix. You finally have full control, and this is your chance. You couldn’t save me, Phoenix,” Junko’s face grew sad. “Don’t make that mistake again. Maya will have no one. Save Pearl. Save Junko. Maybe… this is how it’s meant to be, Phoenix. You could never truly be relied upon, and I know how that makes you feel. Embrace it, because that’s just who you are. A little despair is inevitable at this point anyway. It always is.” 

Junko gave Mia’s signature smile, and it made Phoenix sick. Next to him, Maya shook with grief and anger. She looked at Junko with such hatred, but she couldn’t speak. It was as if Mia was staring at her yet again. 

“Maya,” Junko sighed, still imitating Mia. “You felt her die in your arms once. She was in pain… and so cold. Is this the same? Do you want that for Pearl too?” 

“H-how?” Maya rasped. Her eyes widened suddenly, and she tore off Mondo and Hina’s jackets. She rolled up the sleeve of Pearl’s robes and gasped. The crescent shaped indentations of Junko’s nails were red and swollen, and as Maya touched them, Pearl cried out in pain. “P-pearly,” Maya said softly, “Did you know?” 

“S-she said s-” Pearl coughed more, her whole frame shaking violently. She clutched onto Maya. “I’m cold…” 

“I did it!” Makoto cried, standing up in a flash. He turned to Junko, who was being protectively circled by the bailiff. “Is that what you want? I’ll take all the blame, just give them the antidote. I’m not letting anyone else die!” 

“Makoto,” Kyoko shook her head. She looked at him with pleading eyes, and she clutched at the pager. “Think-” 

“-Please, be quiet,” Junko sighed, in a voice that was identical to Mia’s. “This choice is all up to you, Phoenix. Not Makoto… though this will be a good lesson for him too.” 

Junko’s eyes locked with his; two deep blue pits of despair swirling with hate and malice that clashed with her otherwise perfect portrayal of Mia. Mia’s eyes were full of wisdom and hope, they’d never looked like that before. Phoenix could barely maintain eye contact, and any words he wanted to say were dying on his tongue. 

“This is unfair,” Edgeworth spat. “You’re giving him an impossible choice. You said lesson-” 

“Are you still being your usual cold self,” Junko spat, slicking back her hair and adjusting her voice to become von Karma. “Are you analyzing me now? This is Wright’s choice, so butt out!” 

“W-we can still try for the hospital,” Sayaka tried from the stands. “W-we have to save her!” 

“I’m gettin’ my bike right now-” 

“It’s no use,” Byakuya sighed. His face hardened. “We can only prolong her succumbing to the poison by keeping her warm… and by her own will to fight… but it will only delay the inevitable.” 

“Fuck that,” Leon shrugged off his jacket. “We’re not letting her die!” He threw his jacket down to Phoenix, who wordlessly caught it. “We’ve got to at least try and help Pearl until Mr. Wright can get a verdict! Hiro deserves justice!” 

“Yeah! We cannot give up!” Kiyotaka unbuttoned his uniform jacket and tossed it down as well. “We will get justice for Hiro!” 

“Take mine too,” Hifumi threw down his grey jacket.

“And mine!” Chihiro tossed down his green sweater as well. 

“I do not have a jacket to give,” Sakura said, untying the ribbon from her school uniform, “However, if you wrap this around Pearl’s neck, it should help at least a little bit to lessen her exposure.” 

Maya ran to pick up all the jackets, including Mondo and Hina’s to wrap around Pearl, who was shivering violently. A hind of a spark still shone in her eyes as she became engulfed in the pile of jackets. She took a wheezy breath as Maya shakily tied Sakura’s bow around her neck. 

“Hand yours over,” Jill lunged with a grin to grip Byakuya’s jacket, before he wordlessly todded it down himself. 

“I was going to regardless,” he muttered. “Also…” he brushed some dust from the benches, and a sneeze rang out. 

“A-aah!” Toko cried as Komaru covered her eyes, whispering something into her ear. She looked worried, at least. 

“I suppose I shall as well,” Celeste took off her rather fancy looking jacket to hand over, only gingerly reaching down to give it to Maya instead of tossing it. She then took out another handkerchief and handed it over as well. 

“Take my jacket as well,” Kyoko said, removing the pager before tossing it over to Phoenix. 

“Don’t forget mine, Wright,” Edgeworth said, taking off his own and tossing it. 

“I’m not going to let that kid die,” Hiroko said, her features lining with fury. “I’ll do whatever it takes to see Junko go down!” Hiroko shrugged off her jacket, and turned to Mukuro, who was frozen in place. “If you have any hint of remorse for the death of my son, you’ll end this.” She turned away and tossed her jacket to Phoenix, who caught it and wordlessly handed it to Maya. 

“Wright, we won’t let her get away with this,” Edgeworth said. “You have done so many amazing things in this courtroom, and you have defended those who cannot defend themselves. Junko’s words… they’re hollow. They’re tailor-made to break you, but they won’t. I know you, and if anyone can stand up to this verbal assault and slug through it, it’s you! You’ve faced so many criminals in this courtroom, who’ve used underhanded tactics to try and get to you, and not once has it worked. Knowing you… I doubt it ever will. You’re extraordinary, Wright.” Edgeworth looked at Phoenix, and it seemed as if he had so much more he wanted to say, but he was holding back. He gave Phoenix a small nod, and gestured to the court record. “We have the ammunition. Let’s take her down quickly. We’ll show just how hollow her words really are.” 

Phoenix looked at Edgeworth, and he looked so abnormally expressive. He looked at Phoenix with eyes shining with faith and admiration. His posture radiated with confidence, as if he truly believed in every word he was saying. He really sees me as someone worth admiring, Phoenix thought. He was overwhelmed by the thought of Edgeworth’s stalwart belief in him. He never thought he’d have total, unabashed faith in him so openly like this. He’d always tried to hide his feelings so Phoenix could never really read him, but now he could see how much he meant to Edgeworth. There was a tiny voice inside of him telling him he didn’t deserve it. 

“You can do this, Nick,” Maya said, holding a ridiculously bundled Pearl in her arms. “What Junko is saying is just wrong. You aren’t a failure for anything that happened to us. You’ve been one of the few people in my life I can truly count on,” Maya offered him a small smile. “You never doomed us Feys, Nick. You saved us.” 

What about Mia? Phoenix couldn’t hear her say those words, because she’d died. She’d died when it could’ve been him. It should’ve been him. Did she not trust him enough to tell him about Redd White in the first place? If he hadn’t left the office early, or had gotten there earlier, he could’ve saved her. He felt awful now… Maya had so much faith in him, but why? Mia should be here now, supporting her sister, instead of her having to rely on Phoenix. She shouldn’t have to look up to me… of course she does. I’m her only choice… that’s it. Mia died on my watch, he thought. I’m just some gullible idiot who got tricked by everyone around him and let people die because of my stupidity. No one could count on him, he’d just let them down in the end. It was his own fault too. He was too trusting, and it endangered everyone around him. He’d trusted Dahlia and it nearly got him killed in front of Mia yet again… he’d trusted Engarde and he’d kidnapped Maya. Phoenix clutched his head in his hands-

“-M-Mr. Nick,” Pearl rasped. “Y-you-” she coughed weakly. “Y-you can do i-it. I-I’ll be strong...I’m not scared.” 

Pearl was lying, Phoenix realized. She gave him a small smile, but her eyes had flecks of fear shining throughout, and she shrank into the puddle of jackets that enveloped her. She still shivered violently. Edgeworth and Maya both had faith in him… but how much of that was true? Phoenix felt hesitant to truly embrace their words, and he could still feel the hooks of despair piercing his skin like Junko’s nails had pierced Pearl’s skin...Phoenix stopped cold. That’s it… he felt his heart race, but as he looked at Junko, who’d assumed Mia’s familiar look, and was looking at him with her familiar gaze and shaking her head, he faltered. What could he do that wouldn’t mess everything up even more?

“Nick!” Maya exclaimed. “W-what’s wrong? Say something!”

“Wright,” Edgeworth pleaded. “She’s toying with us! Every instant we’re not… fine.” Edgeworth grimaced and faced Junko. “I’ll take you on myself.” Edgeworth looked away from him to fully focus on Junko, and Phoenix could feel himself falling further from Edgeworth. Falling into this pit of despair that held him prisoner in his own mind. 

“Junko,” Kyoko glowered. “We can make a reasonable deduction that you and Mukuro switched places. We can also connect you to the crime scene due to the Monokuma mask-” 

“Detective Kirigiri!” Junko laughed, clapping her hands. “I fail to see how that mask has any real connection to me… after all, my sister confesses from getting the mask from some cheap dollar store or something. There’s no proof that I’d even purchased a mask!”

“Nick, we have proof!” Maya said, nudging him. Phoenix felt numb. Pearl was dying. “Show her!” 

“Oh…” Junko covered her eyes yet again, and her voice dropped. She took a long swig of coffee. “You do realize that Phoenixes have life spans, right? Eventually they crumple to ash and dust, a victim of their own despair and decay. They consume themselves in their fire… the existence of a Phoenix is one drenched in despair and suffering, and it seems like this one is about to whither and die-” 

“-No, that’s wrong!” Makoto stood up, locking eyes with Phoenix. “Listen to me, Mr. Wright! You can’t give up! All of Junko’s talk is just that, talk!” Makoto crossed his arms. “I-I think I’ve realized something big. She keeps mentioning despair, and I think that’s what she’s after! She’s trying to break you… and I can see it in your face… in your eyes…” Phoenix faltered, and removed his hands from his face. Did he truly look that pathetic? 

Makoto continued. “Junko’s whole testimony relies on words, Mr. Wright. Everyone here knows the truth, and Junko’s innocence rests on a technicality that she’s admitted nothing. If we press hard enough, she won’t have a choice but to confess! Pearl can hold out-” Makoto’s eyes briefly flitted to the side… just who was he looking at? Makoto smiled at Pearl. “-because she’s strong… and so are you, Mr. Wright,” Makoto looked at Phoenix with a small smile, adjusting the three bows that adorned his arms. “You and I… we both have a lot of hope. I know you want to give into despair, but then you’ll just be telling Junko she’s right, and her flimsy words actually work. You can’t have that! Junko doesn’t truly know what she’s saying! Everything she says comes from text she’s read on a file. She doesn’t truly know you, and that proves everything she said is hollow. Think about what Prosecutor Edgeworth said, what Maya said! They’re the ones whose words actually matter, because they know you!” Phoenix’s eyes widened as he looked at Edgeworth and Maya, both of them looking at him with confidence, as if they were lending him their own strength. 

Makoto took off his jacket and tossed it to Phoenix. “Don’t you remember everyone just giving their jackets up for Pearl a moment ago? That’s hope, and it came through action. Junko is relying on her words alone now to try and spread despair, but we can use both words and actions to spread hope! We’re so much more powerful than her, Mr. Wright! You dragged Edgeworth out from this same conundrum moments ago, and now we’ll all help you out too! We all have hope in you, Mr. Wright, and I know you can do this! End this now, and we’ll all have justice! I believe in you!” 

“I believe in you as well,” Kyoko said, giving Phoenix a small smile. “You can do this.” She briefly looked towards Makoto as well, and her eyes shone with renewed love. 

“I believe as well,” Byakuya said. “... despite my previous actions.” 

“I believe in you!” Sayaka said. “Have hope, Mr. Wright! Pearl can fight!” 

“You won’t lose!” Leon shouted. “I know you won’t!” 

“Kick her ass!” Mondo shouted. “You’re too tough to give in like this!” 

“We’re cheering for you, Mr. Wright!” Chihiro said, flipping open Alter Ego to reveal another smiling face. “You won’t let us down, no matter what!” 

“Your spirit is unrivaled here,” Kiyotaka declared. “You cannot lose!” 

“Pearl is aided by dozens of spirits,” Celeste murmured. “She will not falter now… Miss Mia’s fortitude is still lingering there.” 

“Phoenix Wright is a true hero,” Hifumi said in his comically serious voice. “He will continue, even if he has no save points left!” 

“Don’t let up, Mr. Wright!” Hina yelled. “Everyone in this courtroom has your back! We’re all friends!” 

“You have our support,” Sakura mirrored. “With your enduring strength of character… you will overcome this.” 

“Y-you’re the blue k-knight!” Toko stammered loudly, still avoiding looking at a bloody Pearl. “A protagonist l-like y-you doesn’t just d-die here!” 

“Everyone is counting on you,” Komaru said, “But you’re far from ordinary! You’re like my brother. You have a hope so bright, no one can stop it!”

“Phoenix Wright,” Franziska said. “Don’t be a fool. Everyone is giving their strength to you now.” 

“You’re one of the most determined people I’ve ever met,” Hiroko said with a small smile. “I know you won’t give up. You have memories and futures riding on this outcome. You know the stakes, so snap out of it!” 

“Mr. Wright, this courtroom needs your familiar strength and smarts!” the Judge said. “You have done so many amazing things… and you will again!” He smiled. “I just know you will.” 

“Wright,” Edgeworth pleaded. “I need you here with me! We need to close this case now!” 

“Nick,” Maya smiled at him. “You see it now, right? I finally see it too. The power of hope.”

“U-usami says hope a-and love are i-important…” Pearl said with a small smile, and she pointed to the rabbit figurine on Phoenix’s table. “You said… t-the good guys always w-win, right?” 

Phoenix felt a sense of weightlessness beginning to enter him, as he looked at the tiny Usami figurine, radiating with kindness and hope. It was a reminder of another kindness as well, a token of gratitude from Mondo to Maya for bringing back the one person he thought he’d never see again. That little token radiated with hope and friendship, and it seemed to be a beacon that drew forth the belief and love everyone was sending him now. He felt a warmth spreading from where he still held Makoto’s hoodie in his hands. Everyone’s encouragement was giving him wings, and he felt the overwhelming power of hope lifting him from the pits of despair. It wasn’t over. Pearl was fighting. Junko’s words… they were just hollow words from a delusional girl who didn’t truly know him. A giant distraction from the truth Phoenix had seen mere moments ago. Despair had nearly consumed him, but hope completely melted it away. He rose from the ashes, a familiar heroic second wind brewing in his chest. This feeling was euphoric, it made him feel invincible. Phoenix smiled as he knelt down with Makoto’s jacket, and wordlessly draped it around Pearl. Pearl smiled back at him, the overwhelming atmosphere of hope almost making her look stronger. Phoenix shrugged off his own jacket, and fit it snugly over all the others on Pearl. His attorney’s badge reflected back at him. The paint was a bit chipped, but it still shone brightly. 

“Thank you all…” Phoenix stood up straight, but before he could open his mouth, another voice came through. 

“I-is this… hope?” Mukuro’s voice was soft and hoarse. She looked around, as if a spell had just been broken. “Is hope truly this powerful? Despair… isn’t stronger?” 

“What?” Junko glowered at Mukuro, not even bothering with a character. Disgust laced her features. “S-shut up! Despair is superior to this pathetic display! Do you all really think that this little jacket throwing display is enough to even disprove anything-” 

“-OBJECTION!” Phoenix cried, his new strength projecting into his voice, which shook the courtroom. “ We’re talking now, Junko. No more distractions, no more games. Junko, Detective Kirigiri brought up the Monokuma mask earlier, which you denied having a connection to. However, we have evidence linking you directly to that mask.” Phoenix held up the mask. “This mask is made at a place called Monokuma Party Palace, which features lots of Monokuma themed merchandise, and I’m informed that you’re a frequent customer there by the employees. You wouldn’t happen to be familiar with an employee by the name of Larry Butz, would you?” 

“Larry Butz,” the Judge sighed. “Always something with him…” 

“Oh… him,” Junko rolled her eyes. “I sometimes talk to him, but he’s a total zero. He likes to flirt with me, well, who wouldn’t, I’m amazing,” Junko said, crossing her arms. “I’m the only one here with tits better than Mia. However, he’s a fuckin’ idiot, who never knows what he’s saying. Chump change if you ask me.” 

“You gave him this autographed photo,” Phoenix gestured to the photo that Larry coveted. “This autograph here is specifically addressed to Larry.” He got out a piece of paper. “I also have an affidavit he wrote saying that you exchanged this picture with him for one Monokuma mask. This Monokuma mask to be exact,” Phoenix gestured to the fragments. 

“He’s totally unreliable-” 

“-He may be an idiot,” Edgeworth said with a sigh, “But he’s a sucker for women such as yourself. It’s very believable he’d love a pretty photo like that, and he’d happily hand over anything to get it… including a mask used to kill,” Edgeworth rolled his eyes. Phoenix had to agree with the sentiment… especially considering Junko had just dragged him through the mud without batting an eyelash. 

“I have met this Larry Butz before,” the Judge said, shaking his head. “It is definitely something he’d do. Miss Enoshima-” 

“-Ugh, fine.” Junko flipped hair over her left eye. “However,” her accent was familiar. Engarde spoke the same way, a degree of easygoingness that was just laced with a slight edge. “What proof do you have that a Monokuma was even there? Did I even go into Hiro’s room?” Junko got out the cognac and slicked back her hair. “There’s no proof, and that little girl is running out of time! That little jacket display only moved that ticking clock forward!”

“Despair… it can still win, right?” The bailiff turned to Junko. “What you said-” 

“Be quiet,” Edgeworth snapped. “If you truly believe in this pathetic despair you just drew a gun out for, you can show your supposed faith by watching this trial play out… if you truly claim to believe as much as you do.” 

Edgeworth appeared to be flying solo, Kyoko was turned away from the scene, her gloved hand covering something from view. Junko hadn’t even noticed Kyoko’s discretion, and was too busy leering at Edgeworth. 

“Worthy,” she boomed, clasping her hands together and fixing her tie with a glare. “Despair is-” 

“-Going to lose,” Phoenix said. “I have proof you went to Hiro’s room.” 

“What?!” Junko glared at him, twirling a parasol behind her. “You’re full of shit!” 

“Your impersonations are getting worse,” Phoenix shook his head with a smirk. “You weren’t even trying there.” Phoenix gestured to the photos of Hiro’s room. “These are photos of the victim’s room taken prior to the murders by fellow student Leon Kuwata,” Phoenix gestured to Leon in the stands, who blushed from the attention. “If you compare these photos to the ones taken after the murder, you’ll notice one little thing missing. It was so little, in fact, we missed it at first. It’s a little Monokuma sculpture made from wood,” Phoenix said, and he placed the Monokuma sculpture next to the Usami one. “This sculpture is very unique, as is the one sitting beside me. They were made by Mondo Owada and bear his signature and they are the only ones of their kind,” Phoenix lifted both of the figurines to show the initials carved into them. “The Monokuma one was Hiro’s, and the Usami one belonged to Maya. No one else could’ve had these… unless they were stolen. We found this Monokuma figurine in Junko’s room,” Phoenix pointed at Junko. “This figurine clearly links you to the crime, as you stole it from the victim’s room after you killed him!” 

“Aaah!” Junko shrieked, clutching her umbrella tightly as her hair flew behind her, as if she were being assaulted by a sudden breeze. She glared at Phoenix. “Phoenix. Wright. Do you think you’ve won? Do you, Phoenix Wright?” 

Phoenix nodded. “I have.” 

“Wrong!” Junko slicked back her hair, cognac in hand. She mockingly put her nails to her face. “You want me to start tearing up my face and yelling about how guilty I am?” She sneered. “Not happening-” 

“-You wouldn’t anyway,” Phoenix countered. He looked at her, feeling a spike in nerves as she leered at him. “You’d die otherwise. After all, those nails are poisoned. That’s how you poisoned Pearl, after all.” 

“You think I’m afraid to die, Mr. Lawyer?” Junko laughed, slicking back her hair. “I just wanted to see despair win before I do, and I’d hate to tear up my nice face.” 

“Too bad you won’t,” Phoenix shook his head. “There’s more that links you to Hiro’s room. Hiro himself left a vital clue that points to you. It has to do with the justice card-” 

“-Yeah, too bad that clearly points to Mukuro,” Junko tutted. “Pearl’s time is almost up, Mr. Lawyer. You’re going to kill her!” Junko roared with laughter, and slit a single sliver down her face with the nails of her left hand. Phoenix’s breath hitched in his throat. 

Junko grinned, even biting her left nails. “Even with hope, despair comes in to taint it’s horrid glow! Like the beauty of the dark taking over the light…. Swallowing it whole…” Junko blushed, drool beginning to seep from her lips, her eyes swirling darkly. “I know you’re busy with that gun, bailiff…” Junko smiled at the bailiff, blood slowly falling down her face. “I think you should watch as Pearl wastes away… smothered in hope, but even so… despair is finding its way into her veins!” Junko shuddered with ecstasy as she looked towards Pearl, who was beginning to shake violently under the jackets, her face turning purple. Phoenix cried out involuntarily, rushing to her side. 

“B-blood, again!” Toko shrieked, hiding behind Komaru and covering her eyes. “I-I can’t look!” 

“Pearl!” Sayaka cried, tears springing to her eyes. 

“Can we do anything else?” Leon turned to Byakuya, who shook his head. The rest of the class went silent with horror. 

“-No, that’s wrong,” Kyoko shook her head. 

“Bailiff,” Junko decreed. “We must shut up this wily little flat-chested detective!” 

The bailiff had his eyes trained on Officer Ishimaru still, neither man letting up. The bailiff had a manic smile, now fully on board with Junko yet again. He was mumbling incoherently, and looked up at the Judge with wide eyes, who shrank back. His eyes flitted to Makoto, and Phoenix felt a gasp catch in his throat. 

“Don’t you dare,” Officer Ishimaru leveled his gun. “I’ll kill you.” 

“If I eliminate the ultimate hope…” the bailiff grinned. “Little Pearl won’t even matter…” 

“Do it,” Junko grinned. “You’ll be a true hero to despair… your name will live on-” 

“-STOP!” Mukuro cried. “Don’t you dare hurt him!” She glared at Junko, and the bailiff. “You want someone to shoot, shoot me. Then… Junko will maybe… feel despair still… and I’ll finally save him.” 

“Sit down,” Franziska hissed. She grabbed Mukuro’s wrist. “What are you doing?” 

Mukuro looked down at Kyoko. “The part in my testimony where I said the ultimate soldier would have good hearing… that wasn’t a lie. I heard your call.” She gave Kyoko a sad nod, gesturing to her pager. “Press the button.” 

“What are you going on about,” Junko rolled her eyes at Mukuro, adjusting her ruined twin-tails. She ignored Kyoko, instead focusing on her sister. “Can you do one thing right and just stick to your confession? Don’t you remember what I told you?” 

“I remember…” Mukuro grimaced. “I just don’t believe it anymore… which is why I feel such despair.” 

Makoto’s expression fell. “Mukuro… don’t do this.” He looked at the bailiff. “Shoot me! Don’t listen to her!” 

“What?” Franziska yelled, readying her whip and glaring at Makoto. “Stop being a foolish fool and stop this foolishness, both of you!”

“No.” Mukuro looked at the bailiff. “Losing her sister… Junko would love that despair. Fulfill that wish for her. Makoto can’t be more important than me.” Mukuro looked strangely confident as she stared down her sister. 

“Damn it, stop!” Makoto shouted. 

“Makoto, you can’t die!” Komaru cried. “Please, do something!” She pleaded across the room to Franziska. 

“Makoto Naegi, you will cease this foolishness at once!” Franzksia whipped the ground at her feet. “Think of your sister!” 

“Use your whip to defend Mukuro then!” 

The courtroom exploded into chaos yet again. The Judge tried banging his gavel, but it was clear things had escalated far beyond that long ago. Junko had wreaked true havoc on the courtroom. 

“Mukuro doesn’t deserve a defense!” 

“Just let her die, she’s hurt everyone else!” 

“Don’t talk like that about her! She’s trying to save Makoto!” 

“Like with that fake confession?” 

“She’s known about everything so far… she is liable for it all!” 

“This is worse than when Princess Piggles lost her magical girl wand to that tribe of barbarians!” 

“Ugh, that again…” 

“I-is the blood g-gone yet?” 

“Nick… what should we do?” Maya said, yelling to be heard. “Junko poisoned herself and Kyoko is on the phone and pressed that button-” 

“-J-junko… didn’t…” Pearl mumbled, barely keeping her eyes open as Maya held her tight. “O-only right… finger…” Pearl weakly held up her pointer finger. 

Phoenix’s eyes widened, and he ignored the pounding of his head. “Only one nail is poisoned?” He turned to Maya. “Kyoko was on the phone?” He looked to where Kyoko’s eyes were trained on the back door. No one else seemed to notice this, as Franziska, Makoto, and Mukuro were shouting at each other and Junko was enjoying the sight, too absorbed in it to see the door begin to peek open.    
  


“Detective, subdue the bailiff!” Kyoko suddenly cried, and the back door swung open. 

Detective Gumshoe came barreling through the door and tackled the bailiff from behind. The bailiff let out a surprised grunt as he fell. The gun flew from his hands and slid across the courtroom floor and landed right below Hiroko Hagakure. The bailiff made a futile effort to reach for his gun, but it was yards away, and now in a scowling Hiroko’s hands. 

“D-despair will power me through-” the bailiff couldn’t say anything else, as Detective Gumshoe knocked him out with a single blow.

“That guy is so fired, pal,” he mumbled. “What a nut job.” He turned towards Junko with a glare of pure hatred. “After what you did, you better hand over that antidote before things get even uglier.” 

“W-what is this?” Junko’s eyes were wide. She was still staring at Mukuro, ignoring Gumshoe’s threat. 

“I guess that distraction worked,” Mukuro shook her head. “You always were the less disciplined one. Your eyes would be on me… not Kyoko. That’s what mattered.” 

“S-so?!” Junko stammered, pointing at Pearl. “She’s almost dead. H-hawthorn heartache takes a while, but once it’s in there… it’s deadly and faster than strike-10! There’s no surviving either one anyway!” 

“You’re wrong, Miss Enoshima,” a quiet voice said. 

Another man came slowly through the back door, hunched over and holding his stomach. He looked exhausted, and his suit was askew. He adjusted his glasses wearily, but his familiar violet eyes sparkled with a new vitality. Headmaster Kirigiri. Phoenix let out an involuntary gasp of shock.

“No…” Junko’s eyes widened. She put on her Gant persona. “NOOOO!” Lightning seemed to shoot from her, and the god’s fury seemed to radiate once again. “YOU…DESPAIR WILL STILL REIGN…” 

“The antidote, now!” Detective Gumshoe moved towards her. 

“Detective, her right pointer fingernail is poisoned!” Phoenix cried. “Look out!” 

Junko grinned, her face now smeared with blood from her left nails. She brandished her nails. “Detective,” she crooned. “You or Pearl… there’s only antidote for one-” 

_ BLAM _

A shot echoed throughout the courtroom, and Junko howled in pain. She clutched at her right hand, which had just been shot. Her finger was now separate from her hand, the bloody appendage rolling to the floor behind Gumshoe. Phoenix felt like he was going to be sick, but he forced himself to stand up straight. The scent of gunpowder filled the room, and all eyes turned towards the sound, stunned into silence. Hiroko stood with the bailiff’s gun, still smoking. Officer Ishimaru looked at her with wide eyes, his gun still unfired. Hiroko looked at Junko with disgust. 

“That was for my son, you bitch,” Hiroko snarled. “Take the antidote, detective!” 

“It’s in her hair!” Mukuro shouted. “Behind the white clip!” 

Detective Gumshoe lunged forward without a second thought, and Junko shrieked, holding out her bloody hand at him. Gumshoe grabbed her by the tie and ripped at her hair, and the latter shrieked as Gumshoe tore out the white clip and grasped at a tiny vial behind it. He quickly nabbed it, and hurled it over to Phoenix. Phoenix’s hands shook as he fumbled to get the bottle open, the label reading:  _ Hawthorn’s Heartache-Antidote.  _ Phoenix knelt down next to Pearl, whose shaking had largely subsided. Her eyes were nearly closed now, and her breathing was slowing. Phoenix motioned for Maya to open Pearl’s mouth, and once she had, he emptied the contents of the vial inside. He breathed shakily.

“That antidote will work,” Mukuro said quietly. “She’ll still seem sick, but that antidote is fast-acting. She’ll be alive… your hope helped her live.” Mukuro bowed her head. “I understand…” 

“Augh!” Junko cried out, bandaging the bloody stump where her finger had been with her tie, her hand red with blood. Gumshoe stepped aside, going to support Headmaster Kirigiri, who leaned against him with shaky legs. Junko’s eyes shone with fury as her gaze flitted to them, and back to Kyoko. “I was not just lied to by you-” Junko hissed at Kyoko. 

“-You couldn’t tell?” Makoto offered from his perch in the defendant’s chair. “I thought it was pretty obvious.” 

“You… you knew?” Edgeworth murmured. “I must admit… I was fooled.”

“We all were,” the Judge stated. “I believed it. Why lie?” He looked at Kyoko with a quizzative glance. 

“I just knew it would throw Junko if my father showed up,” Kyoko said. “She needs to think she has as much ground as possible, but Makoto is right. Her words are hollow, and her actions are meaningless without there being definitive proof. My father’s resilience shows that her power is an illusion used to prey upon the vulnerable… but this lie has turned the tables on that, and she has no leverage over any of us now!” 

“Oh, bullshit,” Junko spat. “Have you all just forgotten about Hiro? I still won’t say a word-” 

“-You are pathetic,” Edgeworth sighed. “Like a cockroach that won’t die. Wright was going to say it, but I will instead. That justice card left by the victim, in his final breaths, he condemned you, Miss Enoshima.” Edgeworth held up the justice card. “This card has a symbol on it that was crudely drawn above the M, which we first mistook for an M that condemned the defendant, Makoto, then we also misinterpreted it to stand for Mukuro when coupled with her false confession, it seemed to make sense… but with this revelation and her own account, something else took form.” Edgeworth looked at Phoenix, and Phoenix’s eyes widened with realization. 

“Monokuma!” Phoenix exclaimed. “In his last moments, the victim saw his attacker with a Monokuma mask, so he tried to draw the mask and the letter M as a warning!” Phoenix gestured to the justice card. “Yasuhiro Hagakure was trying to say M was for Monokuma, and that whoever had this mask he drew was the culprit! He couldn’t name the person directly, because he’d never seen his attackers face, so Makoto and Mukuro being M would be out of the question! He’d have just written their names if it was them! Monokuma is the only thing this M can stand for, and now that we know that Junko had this Monokuma mask, she’s the only option!” 

Junko grit her teeth, and she scowled at Phoenix. She held her remaining twin-tail in its messy black clip. “So?! This is lame! You can’t really say that just because-” 

“-Stop it, Junko,” Makoto said, glaring at her. “Monokuma is your mascot, your moniker. That fictional bear is littered across this crime, and the only person who’d think to do that is you. In fact… Monokuma represents your whole motive for this case.” Makoto looked at Junko and shook his head. “I could never understand someone like you… how you really believe in this… Hiro really died for a motive this senseless,” Makoto looked at Phoenix, his gaze more sad than triumphant. “You know the motive too, right? It’s what Junko has been talking about this whole time… what Monokuma stands for.” 

Phoenix crossed his arms, looking at Makoto. Her motive… Phoenix thought back to Junko’s room, plastered with Monokuma as far as the eye could see. He remembered those awful scripts that reeked of tragedy, that defiled picture of Usami, and Mukuro’s words hours ago. Phoenix felt bile in his throat as the realization truly hit him. Junko’s motive was insane. Tragic. Incomprehensible.    
  


“Despair,” Phoenix sighed, looking at Makoto. “I get it… this was all to cause despair.” 

“You really think you get to talk motives now,” Junko uttered. She clutched her bloody right hand. “You’ll have to get through me first!” Junko held up her Monokuma doll, blood staining its form. “Puhuhuh! Where’s the final piece, Phoenix Wright? You have no proof that I actually touched those scissors, or gloves, or milk carton, or hoodie… that was all Mukuro, baby!” 

“No, Junko,” Phoenix shook his head. “You know you’ve lost. Once I show you this final piece of evidence, you’ll have no choice to confess.” 

“This is it, Nick,” Maya said from his side, still holding a weak Pearl. The color was starting to return to Pearl’s face, barely. Maya gave him a nod. “You have to break through all of her bluster. You can do this!” 

Phoenix nodded, and turned to face a furious, pathetic-looking Junko. This was it, he thought. Time to finally shut her up, once and for all. 

“Take my sister’s confession! Now!” Junko lowered her voice and snapped with her left hand, the only one intact. She glared at Phoenix with straightened shoulders. “Fool, don’t drag this on!” 

“I won’t stop until you admit it,” Phoenix said, slamming his hands on his desk. “We’ve all seen the truth, and enough is enough!” 

“Auughh...ohhh...AAAUGH!” Junko clutched onto her right shoulder and screamed a guttural and deep scream, one that made Edgeworth sudder with recognition. 

“Wrighto,” Junko smiled too widely, messily appearing as Gant. She grabbed for her tie, but her grasp wasn’t as firm. The air still got stuffy, though. “Your evidence was all procured in blatant violation of evidence law! This whole trial has been a sham!” 

“You already tried that one,” Phoenix shook his head. “This evidence is all relevant and valid.” 

“HAHAHAH!” Junko clapped her hands, laughing so hard her grin stretched to the corners of her face. “HEHEHEHAHAHAHAHA!” Junko’s right hand continued to bleed as she clapped frantically. 

“Mr. Lawyer dude…” Junko’s hair fell over her left eye messily. She smiled a much more laid-back smile. “My liking of Monokuma is just a coincidence!” 

“No way, with Monokuma being stolen from the victim’s room, the justice card, and the mask, there’s no way that’s a coincidence. It all adds up.” 

“NOOO!” Junko pushed back her hair with a howl, scratching desperately at her face with her nails, bloodying her already defiled face. 

“Trite,” Junko’s voice dropped as she covered her bloody face with bloodied hands, her red nails nearly blending into the scenery. “I was framed with those Monokumas, like Celeste and Toko.” She took a large swig of coffee, downing the remainder of the cup.

“That’s not true,” Phoenix shook his head. “See, all the Monokuma evidence was hidden away intentionally, or it was found without you blatantly placing it. The Monokuma mask was broken up to hide it, the figurine was in your room, and the justice card must’ve been out of your sight, because you would’ve taken it otherwise!” 

“Grrraggh!” Junko leaned forward with a grimace, tearing her hands from her face. She threw the coffee cup at Phoenix, but he dodged as it shattered behind him. 

“Feenie,” Junko breathed softly through labored gasps. She could hardly keep character. “Feenie… feenie...didn’t despair feel good…” 

“No, it didn’t, and I won’t give in!” Phoenix slammed his hands on his desk. “No one will, not to you!” 

“Phoenix Wright,” Junko glared at him, dropping her parasol. “You’re wrong. WRONG.” Her hair jutted out in a messy fury behind her. “DESPAIR!” 

“You know this is over! The only one feeling despair right now is-” 

“OBJECTION!” Junko slammed her hands on her desk, and tied her tie sloppily to look like a scarf. “Phoenix, listen to me,” she said, in Mia’s voice, looking at Phoenix with crazed eyes. She wasn’t Mia. She could never be. “You’re still missing something, then.” 

“No, I’m not!” 

“You are, Phoenix! You can’t beat me! I’m Mia FEY!” 

“You’re nothing but a liar, and your characters are running out!” 

“Listen to me Phoenix, a true lawyer knows when to give into despair!” 

“You can’t warp the meaning of that sentence, no matter how much you want to. You can never be Mia!” 

“I’m Mia Fey! A woman whose career began and ended in despair!” 

“She came back so many times to inspire hope, she’s my hope!” Phoenix looked briefly at Maya. “She’s hope for a lot of people.”

“I lost my life because of you!” Junko pointed at Phoenix. “I let Terry Fawles die, I lost to Dahlia-” 

“-Mia beat Dahlia for good in life and death!” Phoenix slammed his hands on the desk, and his body coursed with adrenaline. “Mia will always be a symbol of hope, and you can never use her image for despair!” 

“NO!” Junko exclaimed. “I-I can use Mia to prove my points. She’s a lawyer..” 

“You don’t have anything left!” 

“OBJECTION!” Junko slammed her hands on the desk. “I WASN’T NEAR THE DISPOSAL SITE! MUKURO WORE THAT HOODIE, NOT ME! THERE WASN’T ANYTHING LEFT THERE THAT COULD ABSOLUTELY POINT TO ME!” 

“TAKE THAT!” Phoenix cried, all of his energy going into his final blow. “Evidence that you’re the killer was in fact at the disposal site,” Phoenix held up the shredded gloves. “One the fingers of one of these gloves, there was a red chip,” Phoenix gestured to the red chip stuck to one of the gloves. “In your room, we found a broken nail in the trash,” Phoenix gestured to the broken nail. “If we place these together, they fit!” Phoenix showed the fixed nail to the courtroom. “Junko, you chipped your nail during your fight with Hiro, and you failed to notice a piece had stuck to your gloves. You threw out your nail because it was chipped, but you didn’t anticipate we’d find the missing piece with these bloody gloves, thus irrefutably linking you to the crime!” 

“This i-is lame,” Junko held her remaining ponytail. “So lame!” 

“We also found the nail sets in your room,” Phoenix said. “You used up one set, and one extra nail. This would fit the theory that you had to replace the broken one, and no other ones. We found no other fragments on the gloves, just shards from the crystal ball. You’re done, Junko.” Phoenix furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at Junko, who grit her teeth as sweat poured down her face.

“Do you have nothing to say?” Kyoko glared at Junko. “You were so chatty earlier.” 

“I-I don’t understand anymore,” the Judge sighed. His voice was laced with fatigue, it was raspier than usual. He looked worn and tired, years beyond his already old age. “This trial has had so many twists and turns that it is impossible for me to remember the events so far… I can’t keep the details of the crime straight!” 

“We can summarize the crime for you, Your Honor,” Makoto said. He looked at the Judge with a kind expression. “How about we go over the incident from the beginning, and it’ll become clear to everyone in the court what happened.” 

“Alright,” the Judge nodded, banging his gavel. “A recap would be nice. Thank you, Mr. Naegi.” 

“Let’s end this,” Makoto gestured to Kyoko, Edgeworth, and Phoenix. “Let’s make sure Junko has no room left to argue!” 

Edgeworth nodded. “I’ll start. The crime was set into motion when the culprit heard of a meeting taking place between the victim and the defendant. The culprit knew they’d need an accomplice, so she roped in someone truly loyal to her. Her sister, Mukuro Ikusaba, the ultimate soldier. The culprit started out on her own, by purchasing a Monokuma mask and taking a knife from her accomplice. The culprit had Mukuro hide water bottles in the gym and use her talents to steal a pair of scissors from Toko Fukawa. Finally, she made sure the defendant was going to be at the gym to meet the accomplice, who wouldn’t show. The trap was set. The murder was to take place on Friday night.” 

Kyoko nodded. “The culprit then secured an alibi that would theoretically be her own. However, she would send Mukuro in disguise in her stead, using a wig and foundation to cover up their differences, with the other two students involved, Hifumi and Celeste, being none the wiser. The culprit then made sure that the majority of the other students were gone. Taka, Mondo, Hina, and Sakura had left the school, Chihiro was in her room, Sayaka and Leon were on the fourth floor, Makoto was in the gym and Byakuya was going to the library. The culprit planned out a path using the blind spots of the dormitory cameras to make their way to Hiro’s room with a Mukuro’s knife, Makoto’s reply note, and Toko’s scissors, wearing Makoto’s hoodie and the Monokuma mask.” 

Phoenix slammed the table. “That’s when the murder occured. The victim left his door unlocked for Makoto, but the murderer took advantage of that trust and entered unimpeded. She then picked up the victim’s crystal ball and hit him over the head with it to make him disoriented and unable to cry out… but it wouldn’t have mattered. No one would’ve heard. The culprit then used both the knife and scissors to fatally stab Yasuhiro. The culprit saw a Monokuma figurine the victim possessed, and she couldn’t resist taking it for herself, and she did, leaving the victim to succumb to his wounds as she intentionally left behind the knife and note. She relied on the camera blind spots to leave without being caught on tape. However, Yasuhiro left a dying message she didn’t see. He took a fallen tarot card, the justice card, and wrote a final warning to expose the identity of the culprit. Monokuma.” 

Franziska whipped the air suddenly, commanding everyone’s attention to her. “The culprit then decided it was time to lay the foundations of her frame jobs. However, on the way, she ran into Toko Fukawa, who fainted upon seeing her bloodied, but her identity was still obscured by the Monokuma mask, so she did not attack. She shredded up any actual evidence, like the gloves and the mask, while leaving the evidence that would point to Toko Fukawa and Celeste, the scissors and milk carton, intact. The culprit was unaware that Celeste, who’d left her engagement to make tea, saw her placing the scissors, but she got lucky in that her hoodie made Celeste mistake them for the defendant. The culprit then cleaned the hoodie with the water bottles Mukuro had placed, and then put them in opposite corners of the gym. Finally, all she had to do was wait for Mukuro to meet back with her in order to switch places.”

Makoto took a deep breath. “Meanwhile, I’d just finished talking with Jill and made my way to Hiro’s room. I came in. I saw Hiro dying, and I moved him to the wall to try and help him… but it was too late. He died in my arms. Then, I saw the knife and note, and I touched them both, getting my prints on the knife. I hid the note on my person, but right as I did, Taka came in and saw me holding the knife and Hiro’s dead body. He freaked out, justifiably, and got the headmaster and the police. I decided to stay put in the room, as I was paralyzed with fear, but I knew that Mukuro would take the fall if I did anything.” 

Maya hesitantly stood up, letting Pearl rest against the wall. “If I were Mia… I’d say this: Mukuro was playing cards as instructed, and had slipped Hiro’s stolen card into Celeste’s deck to implicate her according to the culprit’s plan. However, when Hiro’s body was discovered, the Headmaster summoned Mukuro and Hifumi. Mukuro probably hung back as Hifumi and the Headmaster left, and instead went to meet Junko in the gym. The two swapped clothes, and Mukuro put on the wet hoodie to hide her accessories she’d worn pretending to be Junko. Then, they left for the crime scene, Junko appearing before Mukuro, who had to adjust her jacket to hide the evidence. The two sisters appeared to blend into the background as the ultimates all gathered as Makoto was taken away by police… and that wasn’t even the end of the culprit’s spree.” 

Phoenix nodded. “The culprit went on to sow more discourse and spread more despair, which was her true goal. She also took poison from the chem lab and used it on both the Headmaster of the school through his tea, and Pearl Fey, through the culprit’s own nails. The rest of the ultimates played into her trap, and the culprit preyed on their individual weaknesses to tear them apart, while my defendant could do nothing to stop it. They didn’t know at the time that the culprit was their friend, a person who’d comforted them and shared in their happiest memories, who took advantage of their trust and grief to spread chaos and despair. She used her bonds with her sister to coerce her into this insane plan, and she used her same bonds to keep Mukuro quiet as she poisoned the Headmaster and Pearly, but it’s caught up to her now!” Phoenix slammed his hands onto the desk, and gave Maya a nod. She’d practically been channeling Mia in her dissertation, and it was as if the words came from Mia’s lips. 

They both looked at Junko, who was pulling at her remaining twin tail, leaving it as blood soaked as her face. Phoenix looked at Edgeworth, Franziska, Kyoko, and Makoto. They all were in sync, this was the final moment, there was nowhere left for her to run. 

“The culprit is none other than Junko Enoshima, the ultimate fashionista!” They all chorused together, pointing at Junko. The courtroom went silent as Junko shrieked with desperation. 

“Ah!” The Judge sat up. “That was most informative, and all the pieces make sense. Miss Enoshima, you appear to be-” 

“-I...failed…” Junko’s lips curled into a rotten smile, drool slowly pooling in her mouth. “I’ve never felt despair this pure!” Her cheeks were bright red. “Oh, despair! This is such an amazing feeling!” 

“That was your motive then,” Phoenix sighed, looking at Junko with revulsion. “I didn’t want to believe you’d do all of these horrible things for something like despair… it’s just an emotion,” Phoenix gestured to a defiled picture of Usami and her altered scripts. “Monokuma is a fictional character… but you truly believe in all of that garbage he spouts about despair… and you identify with him. That’s why you love him so much, and you’ve rewritten all of his losses.” 

“You’re wrong about it being meaningless,” Junko sighed. “Despair is all I have, and all I’ll ever have. Not everyone can feel hope like Makoto… sometimes you’ve got to face facts. Everyone can feel despair, though… but not like me. Everything I do is chasing despair… that pure, universal emotion! I rewrote those scripts, because that’s just the truth!” 

“What’s the truth?” Maya asked. 

“The truth is that despair is more powerful than hope…” Junko beamed. “Even my supposed loss here today reeks with despair that will ruin this aura of hope.” Junko turned towards Phoenix. “Hope is a temporary fix, y’know? Just holding out on that inevitable despair… you may have hope now… but you’ll fall back into despair somehow…. And that’s what they don’t show in  _ Warriors of Hope vs Despair.  _ They don’t show Monokuma’s true potential or Usami’s weakness… that’s how it should be. I know now more than ever that’s true!”

“No, that’s wrong!” Makoto glared at Junko. “Today, hope won! Everyone came together and-” 

“-Makoto,” Junko sighed. “I just can’t break you, huh? Not even after everything… I was really… hopeful too. Huh,” she pursed her lips. “Me. Hopeful. Who knew?” 

“That’s what you meant,” Mukuro’s voice echoed throughout the quiet courtroom. “You told me showing him the truth would help protect him from this world… I believed that… but you were just trying to break him.” Mukuro looked at Makoto with sorrow. “She calls you the ultimate hope,” she said. “She says that she never understood how you could bring people together… how patient and kind you were, how you believed in everyone’s best. Byakuya talked down to you, Celeste treated you like a servant, Mondo fought with you… I was cold to you… but you had hope, and that changed us. Junko…” Mukuro looked at her sister with the type of gaze typically reserved for a stranger. “Junko… I get it now. She wanted to prove Makoto wrong… if Makoto could bring everyone together, she’d tear them apart. Despair was stronger than hope, and that’s what she showed me… at first. She must've wanted to show Makoto that too.” 

“Is that why my son died?” Hiroko looked at Mukuro with pained eyes. “So you and your sister could prove a point?!” 

“I’m so sorry,” Mukuro said, managing to meet Hiroko’s eyes. “I-I… I liked Hiro… I like all of my friends…” Mukuro looked down, visibly tearing up as she forced a lump down her throat. Phoenix felt a surge of pity. 

“Doesn’t that feel great though?” Junko looked at Mukuro, still grinning. “That despair you feel about me hurting you, Hiro, Makoto… it’s so raw. I felt that way about you too when you decided to confess-” 

“-Why did you frame me?” Mukuro’s voice cracked with devastation. “If you truly cared about me… you used my knife and made me smuggle evidence… why?” 

“Well, I didn’t want to get caught, sorry,” Junko shrugged. “I was hoping to get the message out once I’d won this case… but oh well! I did see so much despair, though…” 

“I get why she targeted Yasuhiro then,” Edgeworth’s features were grim. “She was really aiming for Makoto. It wasn’t about framing him in the long run… it was about making him see the despair of his classmates and family while he was powerless to stop it in the detention center. Each day he comes to court and sees his classmates drifting further from hope and closer to despair. This was never about Yasuhiro… he could’ve been anyone who’d lead back to Makoto. This study session just granted the golden opportunity to Junko to enact her plan by targeting someone who represents what she abhors so much. Hope.” 

“Why did you poison my father, then?” Kyoko crossed her arms, staring at Junko. “What about Pearl?” 

Junko shrugged. “Oh, just more despair and stuff. I think that the deaths of loved ones bring out our finest despair!” She grinned at Kyoko, then turned to the other ultimates in the stands. “I saw your despair when Hiro died… all of that crying in the hallway, it was music to my ears! Why can’t you all embrace that more often… seeing my friends in the ecstasy of despair… I thought you would finally see how wonderful it all is! Finally, I share this feeling with all of my friends!” Junko cackled. “You all have been through despair, but I wanted to see it cranked up… what happens when you sink to the very depths?” Junko’s eyes began to swirl with insanity. “Makoto, everyone’s hope was powerless and a suspect… while everyone turned on each other like wild dogs!” 

“They came together,” Makoto said. “Your point proved nothing-” 

“-Oh, barely,” Junko scoffed. She eyed the ultimates and wagged one of her remaining fingers at them. “They only came together to suspect you, then to suspect me right now. They’re even still seperated with the seating! Despair is strong...it only took a day to break them all apart… and they’ll still be broken. You told me hope takes time, but I’d think no amount of time can truly fix this. They all have felt that despair, they’ve sunk to new lows… and time won’t let them forget. Right, Makoto?” 

Phoenix eyed the stands, where none of the ultimates dared to speak. They all looked at each other, with looks ranging from regret to sorrow to downright shame. There was an uncomfortable element of truth to Junko’s words. Only Sayaka was able to look at Makoto with a glance of pity. 

Makoto did something unexpected. He smiled. “You really think that? Did you not see what I did? When it really counted, hope won out. Everyone supported me in the end, even when I lied to them. Everyone helped to save Pearl’s life and motivate Mr. Wright. Headmaster Kirigiri survived. I think that everyone jumping to believe that their classmate with blood on his hoodie and a knife did it rather than volleying around accusations at least shows some common sense, right? Besides, they believed my innocence once it was proven. I think that they came together in ways you can’t even say. I know it won’t be easy to fully trust again, but I have hope it’ll happen. You say it’s easy to fall into despair, but I think it’s even easier to feel hope that things can get better! You just have to make an effort!” 

“Woah…” Komaru breathed, still shielding Toko from the blood. “Makoto’s amazing at that…” 

“Makoto’s right!” Sayaka exclaimed. “I have hope in us!” 

“Hell yeah!” Leon whooped. “Hiro wouldn’t want his death to fracture us… and he’d totally agree with Makoto too!” 

“I think it’s mindless to give Enoshima any victory,” Byakuya said. “Makoto’s right.” 

“There’s a 100% chance Makoto is correct,” Alter Ego said, Chihiro nodding as he typed. 

“We are no longer your marionettes, Enoshima,” Celeste tutted. “Go peddle your idiocy somewhere else.” 

“Begone, witch!” Hifumi cried. 

“Y-you’re a freak!” Toko stammered, still looking away. 

“I won’t let you get in my head!” Hina declared. 

“You fuckin’ used us!” Mondo growled. “You got off on us bein’ upset, and no one is gonna take that shit!” 

“Your mindset is impossible to understand,” Kiyotaka sighed. “However, no one here will even try to put up with your horrible rhetoric.” 

“Your actions are despicable, Enoshima, and you will rot in jail alone for them, while we repair our fractured class,” Sakura said, her voice laced with tranquil fury. 

“-STOP IT!” Junko cried out. She reached out behind her black hair clip. She produced another vial, this one attached to a small chain. “I need to feel the ultimate despair of being punished,” she toyed with the vial. “I am not afraid of dying… and I already have the despair of disfigurement… I guess it’s good I didn’t tell Mukuro about this one,” she sighed. “Maybe if I’d just put more of this in his tea… oh well.” She grinned wolfishly at Phoenix. “You’ve had some experience with swallowing poison on the stand before, huh, Feenie? Any pointers?” 

“JUNKO!” Mukuro cried, tears falling down her cheeks. “DON’T! PLEASE!” 

“Your despair is so beautiful…” Junko grinned at Mukuro, who sobbed in response. Junko grabbed the Monokuma doll. “It’s punishment time!” she whooped with a childish excitement. 

Phoenix’s mouth fell open. “No!” he cried. “You can’t!” They’d been so close… and now she had one final trick. One that would ensue she got what she wanted in the end… no one would have justice and-

“-No you don’t, pal!” Detective Gumshoe had been standing back, holding onto Headmaster Kirigiri. 

He detached himself from the weaker man and sped at Junko. He grabbed at the vial as Junko tried desperately to open it, her bloody fingers causing her grip to falter. Makoto reached down from the defendant’s chair tentatively, but he stumbled, barely staying upright. Gumshoe was about to wrench the bottle from Junko’s grip, before she lunged at him with surprising force, knocking him over and sending the vial flying. The vial flew, and Junko pushed a dazed Gumshoe aside to rush after it, and it rolled to a stop at Headmaster Kirgiri’s feet. The man stood up with all his strength and watched as the bottle rolled towards him, stopping at his feet. 

“Miss Enoshima,” the headmaster lifted his foot over the bottle. “Consider yourself expelled.” He brought down his foot with surprising ferocity, cruising the bottle into pieces, its contents now soaked into the rug and unusable. 

“Everything failed,” Junko sighed, falling to her knees. “This despair… it’s swallowing me up! I just knew it would be like this! I can’t wait until the whole world will feel this way…” 

“That will never happen,” Phoenix said defiantly. “Not while I’m here. I’ll make sure you stay locked up.” 

“Oh…” Junko looked at Phoenix, her eyes swirling cesspools of insanity. “One day… you’ll taste true despair. Pearly came so close to succumbing,” Junko smiled at Pearl, who wearily glared at her. “I didn’t want you to actually die… I saw some potential in you. Eh, oh well. Big sis Junko gave you your first taste of that deathly despair… and you would have joined some very special kids your age if this had all worked out,” Junko sighed. “I’m sure Monaca would’ve loved you just like she loves all those little snots.” 

“Monaca?” Pearl rasped, hiding in her jacket bundle. 

“Not important.” Junko sighed. “If anything, that shows the power of despair! That bailiff-” Junko motioned to the still unconscious and now handcuffed bailiff. “-was one of many I’ve already told about the wonders of despair. The unfortunately alive Headmaster’s school is a breeding ground for despair.. With the pressures of being a hope bringing ultimate… or being told you’re inferior by being in the reserve course… there is so much despair in that school,” Junko sighed, grinning at the Headmaster, who looked down at the floor. 

Phoenix raised an eyebrow. Reserve course? What was that? Based on the reaction the Headmaster had, it couldn’t be good-

“-Makoto, who crashed into you, by the way?” Junko giggled. “Eventually, all of my friends, you guys, will fall into despair with me, and my greatest wish will be realized!” Junko shook her head at the expressions of disbelief from the ultimates. “All of you will, despite Makoto’s efforts, it will happen. Despair will win, even if today was a loss I’ll be waiting for you all, to welcome you into the embrace of despair! No one is immune, least of all you,” Junko leered at Phoenix. “Your time is coming… you think you’re immune now, but despair will catch up to you. You’ve had so much tragedy already… eventually it will break you.” Junko grinned. “When it does, give me a visit. I’ll be waiting, Feenie.” 

Phoenix didn’t respond, instead glaring at Junko as she grinned at him. Eventually, since the bailiff was out of commission, Officer Ishimaru walked up to the stand to handcuff Junko and take her away. She never stopped smiling as she was led away, the glares of betrayal and disgust by her classmates, Hiroko, Komaru, Edgeworth, Maya, Pearl, and himself only seemed to fuel her more. Mukuro’s tears caused Junko’s grin to tear at her bloodied face, and Phoenix felt a unique brand of rage as he was forced to see the silent interaction of one sister reveling in the suffering of another. 

The Judge cleared his throat, his face deep with frown lines. “This was a harrowing day in court,” he sighed. “I have never encountered a person like Miss Enoshima… and I hope I never have to again. I have never felt that hopelessness in a long time, however-” the Judge glanced at Makoto. “-the defendant has persisted through it all, and brought logic to this court even in crisis, with the spirit of a true attorney. Mr. Wright, Prosecutor Edgeworth, you both came together yet again to solve this crime. Of course, Prosecutor von Karma and Detective Kirigiri were of vital importance as well… actually, there were so many people who helped with this case,” the Judge looked towards Mukuro. “Including the accomplice herself, in the end. Miss Ikusaba, I will have to give you a sentence,” the Judge said, looking at Mukuro sadly. 

“I understand, Your Honor,” Mukuro said, bowing her head. 

The Judge gave Makoto a small smile. “As for this case, it gives me great pleasure to declare the defendant, Makoto Naegi, NOT GUILTY.” 

The Judge banged his gavel, and confetti rained down from the sky. Normally, Phoenix was used to cheering as the rainbow paper rained down from the sky. Hiro had been avenged, the Headmaster lived, Pearl survived, but it wasn’t an outright celebration. Edgeworth looked at Kyoko hesitantly, the latter looking straight at her father, who was looking at the floor while Gumshoe supported him. Hiroko dropped the gun she was holding to the floor, and finally let out a choked sob, murmuring about Hiro as the confetti rained down, and Phoenix’s heart twisted. Above her, Franziska looked at Mukuro, who buried her head in her hands as well, quivering with the full weight of what she’d done. Phoenix looked towards Maya and Pearl, who looked at the ultimates, both of them ignoring the confetti. The ultimates gave each other looks of uncertainty, like no one quite knew when to start. Komaru, however, looked at Makoto with such relief and hope, that Phoenix didn’t feel completely lost. The courtroom wasn’t hopeful, but it wasn’t wholly despairing either. It was teetering on the edge of both, hope and despair fighting even now to reign supreme. The courtroom was one of uncertainty, but Phoenix knew one thing as the rainbow paper settled around him, and he looked at Makoto. Junko was defeated while Makoto was still standing, and he was far from powerless. 

******************************************************************************

May 3rd, 3:00 PM

District Court

Defendant Lobby No.2

Did that just really happen? Phoenix walked out of the courtroom with Maya and Pearl, the latter still swaddled in jackets, and he could hardly put a thought together, he had so much to say. Phoenix felt lightheaded as he left the courtroom, absentmindedly brushing confetti off of his suit. He’d pulled it off again, despite the odds. He’d really been driven to the edge during this trial, and that scared him. He’d gone to the highest highs and the lowest lows. He hadn’t even realized he could be pushed that far… to the brink of total despair. Still, he hadn’t given up, and in the end, he’d won the day. Well, it wasn’t fair to say he’d won the day alone. He’d gotten lots of help from-

“-Nick!” Maya laughed excitedly, setting down Pearl, and giving him a bone-crushing hug. “You. Were. Incredible!” Maya grinned as she spun him around. 

“Woah!” Phoenix cried in surprise, Maya jolting him back to Earth. “Thanks Maya, you were really great too.” 

Maya crossed her arms. “I didn’t do anything, Nick.” 

“No, that’s wrong!” Pearl said, waddling over to where Maya was and wrapping her arms around her waist. Pearl’s jackets all bunched up around her, and her hair was drooping and disheveled, but she looked way better than she had otherwise been previously. “You held me and kept me safe the whole time with Mr. Nick, and in the end you acted like Cousin Mia to help Mr. Nick!” 

“Pearl is right, Maya,” Phoenix said, a small smile spreading across his face. “You were amazing, and I know Mia would be really proud of you.” 

Maya smiled. “Thanks, Nick. You too, Pearly.” Maya knelt down to face Pearl. “I’m so glad you’re safe,” she said, her voice uncharacteristically serious. “I-I’d never forgive myself if you-”

“-Yeah,” Phoenix placed a hand on Maya’s shoulder, and knelt down to face Pearl as well. “You being safe means so much to us, Pearls. We’re glad you’re okay… and just know we’d do anything to protect you, okay?” Phoenix reached into his pocket and pulled out the Usami figurine. “Also, I think it’s about time you take this back. She’s a lucky charm, now.” 

Pearl smiled and gingerly took the figurine from his hands. “The good guys always win,” she said with a small smile. “You were right, Mr. Nick.” Pearl wiped at a bead of sweat that rolled down her forehead. “All of these jackets are starting to make me pretty hot, Mr. Nick. Can I take them off?” 

“Yeah,” Phoenix said, starting to remove the jackets. Some of them were still stained with blood, so he figured it was for the best anyway. Pearl did insist on keeping the bow from Sakura wrapped around her neck, however. 

Phoenix stood up, now having removed all the jackets, placing them in a pile. He took his own jacket, and he couldn’t help but feel a small twinge of guilt as he saw the specks of blood that littered the collar. Pearl had suffered to get this verdict, nearly dying, coughing in agony… she was too young to have had to go through that, and Junko had phrased it as some kind of lesson for Pearl. Phoenix felt a flash of hatred burn through him towards the fashionista. 

“Mr. Wright!” 

Phoenix only had time to look up for a second before a blur ran into him, colliding with him at a very high speed. Phoenix nearly stumbled over as the wind was knocked right from him. He quickly shook it off to see Makoto wrapping him in a bear hug, the boy’s eyes flecked with the beginnings of grateful tears. Phoenix hugged him back without another word as an intense feeling of relief and true friendship enveloped them both. 

“I owe you everything, Mr. Wright,” Makoto breathed shakily. “You helped to save everyone’s hopes… my life… if you hadn’t taken my case-” 

“-No way,” Phoenix said. “There’s no way I’d have refused your case. You were a client and you needed my help.” Phoenix let go of Makoto and regarded him with a smile. “Besides, what your friends said about you really helped make an impression.”

“Huh?” Makoto raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t play dumb, dude!” Maya exclaimed. “Don’t you remember who we came with? Kyoko was the one who insisted we defend you, and then there was Sayaka too, who pleaded for us to take you on, because she believed in you. You know,” Maya leaned close to Makoto and whispered in a rather loud voice, “Nick is a real sucker for those types of emotional pleas between friends… and lovers.” Maya smirked while Phoenix sighed and Makoto turned bright red. 

“Sayaka and I aren’t-” 

“-She wasn’t talking about Sayaka,” Pearl said, her face in her hands, eyes shining with the possibility of romance. “You and Kyoko-” 

“-She doesn’t want that!” Makoto said, waving his hands in front of him in a panic. “This whole thing… I messed up, and it hurt Kyoko. I really doubt she’d be thinking of that stuff now,” Makoto kneeled down to face Pearl. “I get you really like talking about that romance stuff… but please don’t mention it, okay? I-” Makoto’s expression faltered, a hint of heartbreak flashed across his features. “I don’t want her to be upset by it… okay?” 

Pearl’s face fell, and she looked down at the floor. “Sorry…I didn’t mean to upset you.” 

“Hey,” Makoto gently took her hand. “You, of all people, shouldn’t have to apologize to me. I just said that for Kyoko’s sake, but I could never be upset with you, Pearl. What you did… you’re one of the bravest and strongest people I’ve met.” 

Pearl’s eyes widened. “Really?” 

“Yeah,” Makoto said with a nod and a slight smile. “What you did for everyone was so brave, Pearl. I just wish I’d realized it sooner.” 

“What are you talking about?” Maya asked. She looked at Makoto and Pearl. “What’s going on? Makoto, did Pearly rope you into getting her an Usami plush or something before the trial?”

Makoto managed a slight chuckle and stood up. “No,” he said. “I just realized something about what Pearl must’ve been thinking with the poison-” Makoto stopped and placed a hand on Pearl’s shoulder. “You want to tell them, Pearls?” 

Phoenix looked at Pearl, whose face flushed. “I-I guess-” 

“-MAKOTO!” Komaru’s voice rang out from where the ultimates were filtering out of the trial room. Komaru came barreling over like a bat out of hell, and swept Makoto up in an embrace. “YOU DID IT!” Komaru turned towards them all. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She bowed to them, rapidly. 

“Hey,” Phoenix said, awkwardly shifting, “It’s really no-” 

“She’s okay!” Hina yelled. 

She wasn’t alone, as the rest of the class came barreling over, an assortment of statements flying through the air. Phoenix braced for impact, wondering if dying at the hands of a high schooler stampede was really the worst way to go. Well, it was pretty bad. It was even weirder to see all of them still missing the various jackets or accessories they normally wore, and Phoenix had to a double take upon seeing some of the more dramatic changes, like Kiyotaka’s undershirt clashing with his formal dress pants and shoes, or Celeste missing her frilled jacket, or even-

“-EVERYONE STOP!” Kiyotaka’s voice rang out in a commanding fashion, and eleven pairs of feet subsequently stopped running. “Everyone,” he said, “Please conduct yourselves in an orderly manner, as I can assume she is quite overwhelmed right now!” 

Everyone… she… Pearl? Phoenix quickly came to the conclusion that she was who the ultimates had come to see, well, her and Makoto. His suspicions were quickly confirmed when the ultimates approached, much more calmly this time, and all their gazes were trained on Pearl. 

“You look better,” Byakuya said, nudging his glasses as he took a cursory glance at Pearl. “At least the antidote was given on time.”

“I’m really happy you’re safe,” Chihiro gave Pearl a sad smile. “T-there’s a lot going through my mind right now… but I’m really happy you’re okay. You’re really sweet!” 

“You’re one tough f-freakin’ kid,” Mondo sighed. “You’re tougher than anyone I know for holdin’ out that long.” 

“I agree with my Kyoudai!” Taka looked at Pearl with an intense gaze that was meant to be encouraging, despite it’s rather ominous look. “Your fortitude is unmatched, Pearl Fey!” 

Pearl blinked, unsure of who to respond to first. She looked rather lost, and a bit overwhelmed by all of the attention focused on her. 

“I see you kept my ribbon,” Sakura said with surprising softness. 

“Y-you can have it back,” Pearl mumbled, avoiding direct eye contact with her. 

“No,” Sakura managed a small smile as she crossed her arms. “You can keep it. I believe it looks quite adorable on you, and I have others.” Sakura looked down at Pearl with an aura of friendliness as the smaller girl finally looked her in the eyes. Pearl’s posture relaxed once she looked at Sakura, her clear friendliness finally overcoming her appearance in the eyes of Pearl, and breaking down Pearl’s apprehensions.

“Pearly!” Sayaka pushed past and knelt in front of Pearl. She wordlessly pushed Pearl’s messy hair out of her face, taking one of the clips from her own hair and using it to pin back Pearl’s stray hair. “A-are you okay? I’m really sorry-” 

“-Don’t apologize!” Pearl commanded with surprising force, touching her new clip with a small smile. “I won’t let you feel sad, because it wasn’t your fault!”

Sayaka looked at Pearl with misty eyes. “I just don’t understand why you didn’t tell anyone… you knew which finger was poisoned and everything… I could’ve helped you, Pearls. As an idol… I look out for my fans, and as Sayaka, I look out for my friends. You’re a really good friend, Pearl.” Sayaka opened her arms, and Pearl hugged her with a grin. 

“We’re friends!” Pearl beamed. “Does that mean you’ll make a song for me?” 

“Absolutely,” Sayaka said, wiping the beginnings of tears from her eyes. She smiled. “The song will be about the world’s bravest little girl slaying a wicked, wicked bear. You’ll love it.” 

“Yay!” Pearl turned towards Maya and Phoenix. “I’m going to be in a song!” She jumped with excitement. 

“I call being featured on that song!” Leon shouted. “I’ll bring some kick-ass vocals!” 

“I was thinking it would be more of a pop, idol kind of song,” Sayaka sighed. “However… I could change it around. I’m sure Pearl would like it regardless.” 

“Yay, a love duet!” Pearl beamed, blushing yet again, glad to have found a potential couple to be the recipient of her fantasies. “It’ll be made with lots of love, because-” 

“-Okay, that’s enough!” Leon said quickly, his face turning redder than his hair as Sayaka giggled. 

“Makoto,” Byakuya’s voice cut through Leon’s stammering. He looked straight at Makoto. “I’m glad you’re alright… and… I’m sorry for not having any faith. In my classmates… or in you,” Byakuya said, looking at Phoenix. “You truly surprised me, Mr. Wright.” 

“I’m just glad we’re all here now,” Makoto said with a sigh, giving Byakuya a small smile. “Plus, now maybe you’ll see how easy it is to have some hope in others. I know that isn’t exactly your world, what with being a businessman and heir and all,” Makoto looked at Byakuya with a smile. “I’d be happy to help you along, Byakuya.” 

“I suppose… that will be alright.” Byakuya muttered. “I suppose I should start with Kuwata.” He turned to a rather startled Leon. “I’m sorry I antagonized you yesterday.” 

Leon sighed. “What you said was fucked… but I’m sorry I punched you. That was pretty out of line.” 

“W-wow,” Toko muttered. “Master has g-gone soft n-now-” 

“You know, maybe you could use some help too, Toko,” Makoto said. He gingerly touched one of the ribbons adorning his arms. “You’re friends with me… and Byakuya I guess… but maybe I could help you get to know our classmates more! You can join Byakuya and I-” 

“-Is that really necessary?” Byakuya sighed. 

“I’ll help her!” Komaru said with a grin. She turned towards Toko with a certain shine in her eyes. “I think we could be really good friends. You already helped me a bunch today!” 

“U-uh…” Toko blushed. “F-fine! Just stop giving m-me those p-puppy eyes!” 

“It appears Fukawa is soft as well now,” Celeste tutted with a grin. Before Makoto could open his mouth, Celeste turned to him. “I know what you are about to say, Makoto. I will apologize for falsely identifying you… though I believed it was in my best interests. I regret letting Enoshima puppeteer me into losing faith in one of my higher ranked underlings.” 

“Who's your highest ranked underling?” Hifumi squeaked. “Am I back to a C-Rank?” 

“Of course not,” Celeste sighed. “I am still quite furious with you. Chihiro and Makoto are tied for first now.” 

“Me?!” Cihiro exclaimed. To Phoenix’s surprise, Chihiro actually smiled at that. “I’m glad we’re friends, Celeste!” 

“Yes, yes,” Celeste waved a hand. “You still have a ways to go with gambling, I must admit. Speaking of,” Celeste turned to Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl. “I am relieved that Pearl, and subsequently, Miss Mia, are alright. I did not wish her any harm, despite her stealing from me. She is the most interesting person I have talked to in a while.” 

“I guess I could pass along the message,” Maya sighed. “Maybe she’d even play cards again sometime. She doesn’t like losing, after all.” 

“Please don’t bet my money next time,” Phoenix sighed. 

“Hey, Makoto,” Sayaka said, interrupting to face Makoto. “That stuff you said in there about time to reconnect… we’re graduating soon. Do you think we have that time?” 

“Yeah,” he said, giving Sayaka a smile as he adjusted her bow, as it rested on his other arm. “We already have years of bonding with each other, and that wasn’t fake. It was real. We have the foundations, and if everyone has the desire to move forward together, our hope can help us strengthen our bonds again in no time. I have hope in all of you,” Makoto looked at his classmates, a passion sparking in his eyes. “We all just have to move forward together!” 

“Wow!” Hifumi exclaimed, his glasses flashing. “Spoken like a true protagonist, Mr. Naegi!” 

“I’ll do my best,” Chihiro said with an expression of determination. “I’ll move forward with everyone!” 

“Me too!” Hina beamed. “We’ll all hang out, and we can all get donuts together!” 

“That does sound nice,” Sakura admitted. 

“I oppose unhealthy foods, but if it unites us, then I suppose it is a great idea, Hina!” Taka grinned at Hina, who smiled back. 

The other ultimates began to voice their agreements, and Makoto smiled up at Phoenix. Phoenix couldn’t help but grin back. Makoto really was right about everyone. Hope could win out, he thought with a smile. 

“Oh, you guys are invited too!” Hina grinned at Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl. “You guys should get all the free donuts in the world! You guys have to come with us!” 

Phoenix chuckled. “You guys really don’t have to-” 

“-Nick!” Maya glared. “We’re not refusing free food!” Maya gave Hina a thumbs up. “We’re in!” 

“Can I come too?” Komaru asked quietly. “I’m not an ultimate but-” 

“-You h-have to come, O-omaru. You have to b-be my u-uh, friend, remember?” Toko said, tugging on a lock of hair. 

“Oh, yeah!” Komaru grinned. “I can’t wait! I have so much manga to show you!” 

“I don’t want to interrupt this, erm, bonding session,” Celeste said with a sigh. “There is something I do not understand yet. Why did Pearl tell no one of the toxins inside her body? It would appear she knew about it earlier, yet she told no one.”

“I still don’t get it either,” Leon said, facing Pearl with a serious look. “Why didn’t you tell anyone if you knew you were poisoned?” 

“Hey, let’s not interrogate her!” Hina protested. “She’s been through a lot!” 

“I-I do wonder about that myself, Pearly,” Maya said, crossing her arms. “Obviously, you didn’t tell Mia, so she couldn’t say anything.” 

“It was because of Junko,” Pearl blurted out. 

Phoenix froze. Junko’s name promptly sucked all semblance of relief out of the room. Suddenly, plans for donuts were forgotten. The ultimates all exchanged uneasy glances, and Phoenix looked at Maya. Maya was focused on Pearly, but she’d tensed up at the mention of Junko’s name. 

“Junko told me something after I left you guys with her, and before we met up with the others,” Pearl said. She cautiously gripped at her robe sleeves, right by where Junko’s nail marks still lingered. “She said that she’d poisoned me with her nail by poking me hard enough to make a mark below my skin… and that if I didn’t keep quiet she’d poison someone else, and that if she did, there wouldn’t be enough antidote to save them…” Pearl looked down at the floor, her expression sad. 

Phoenix looked at Pearl, and he felt guilty all over again. “You… you were willing to potentially die to save everyone? Pearls…” Phoenix heard his voice crack, “W-why didn’t you call her out or-” 

“-She didn’t want anyone else to get hurt if there was something she could do about it,” Makoto said, breaking the silence. He looked at Pearl with an understanding gaze. “I realized it… and why everyone could easily be a target. If Junko just grabs you hard enough, you’re poisoned. After Pearl revealed what she knew… I started to think about it,” Makoto said. “I remembered an earlier moment when-” 

“-When she defended Junko against Mondo,” Kyoko’s voice cut through, she walked up to the group, Edgeworth, Gumshoe, and the Headmaster in tow. “That point did stick out to me during Mr. Wright’s summary, and now it makes sense.” 

“You always a-appear out of nowhere l-like that,” Toko muttered. “I-it’s weird.” 

“You figured it out too?” Makoto asked, looking at Kyoko. 

“Yes,” she nodded, turning to face Pearl. “I bet that was terrifying for you… you didn’t know what would happen if Junko got to anyone else, and she was sitting right by Mondo. She could’ve easily gotten him with her nails, or even reached down to Mr. Wright or Maya, or just across to one of her fellow students. Sayaka was a seat away too. Pearl knew she had to keep quiet to keep everyone safe, and when Mondo lifted up Junko-” 

“-Shit,” Mondo breathed. “I was inches away from bein’ poisoned. Junko coulda stuck me right there. Pearl saved my life by calmin’ her down.” Mondo kneeled down, facing Pearl. “I owe ya just as much as I owe Maya,” he said, shaking his head. “I thought I was lookin’ out for ya… but ya were the one watchin’ out for me. For all of us.” 

“Pearl…” Chihiro’s eyes misted up. “You’re so brave… you really did all of that for us?” 

“You all, uh mostly, have been really nice to me,” Pearl said, facing the ultimates. “Mystic Maya and Mr. Nick really liked you guys, and I did too. I-I just didn’t want Junko to hurt anyone, so I didn’t say anything. I was really scared, a-and I felt sick… but I just trusted Mr. Nick, and that he’d win.” Pearl turned towards Phoenix with a smile, “You did it, Mr. Nick.” 

“Don’t forget about Detective Gumshoe,” Kyoko cut in, giving the other Detective a fond look. “He’s the one who got the antidote. You played your part wonderfully, Detective.” 

“Oh, c’mon pal,” Gumshoe blushed. “I was just doin’ my job. Wright and Prosecutor Edgeworth are the ones who got her. You too, of course.” Gumshoe grinned at Kyoko. He was still rather battered from his scuffles with Junko, her blood stained his jacket, but he hardly seemed to notice. 

“You’re being way too modest, Detective,” Edgeworth said with a sigh. “Your heroics were essential… and unplanned. I had no idea about what you and Detective Kirigiri had planned.” 

“Sorry Prosecutor,” Kyoko said. “It’s not that I didn’t trust you, it’s just that if things did indeed work out this way with my father living, I told Gumshoe to head over… and I wanted you to be convincing when I mentioned my father’s faked passing.” 

“I’m amazed you thought so far ahead,” Headmaster Kirigiri said softly, evidently still fatigued. He looked at his daughter with a newfound awe, while Kyoko merely gave him a small nod. Clearly, there were still things to be worked out between them, Phoenix thought sadly. He never thought they’d patch things up in an instant… but it had been a nice thought to entertain. 

“I’d like to believe I’m not a horrible actor,” Edgeworth said with a sigh. “Still, I understand, and I applaud your foresight. You have the makings of an amazing detective.” 

“You’re already ten times better than me, pal.” 

“I really can’t wait to work with both of you someday,” Kyoko said, a rare smile crossing her face. “You both… are very good colleagues.” 

Gumshoe sniffled, barely hiding his tears as he beamed at Kyoko. Edgeworth let a rather broad smile cross his features as he gave Kyoko a bow, signifying his utmost respect. Kyoko offered her hand to Gumshoe, who shook it with gumption and a salute. Edgeworth’s handshake was a lot more mild-mannered, but the same amount of respect was still there. The ultimates smiles were starting to return, and the Headmaster’s expression even lifted with a weary pride as he saw his daughter’s work being recognized. 

Kyoko turned towards Phoenix. “I can’t thank you enough,” she said. “You proved me right and then some. I knew you were an amazing lawyer, Mr. Wright, but what you did was nothing short of spectacular. Thank you for helping him.” Kyoko’s cheeks dusted pink, and Phoenix bit back a smile. She still liked him, even if she was mad. Phoenix’s eyes briefly flitted to Makoto, who’d gone silent.

“You don’t have to thank me,” Phoenix said bashfully. “I was just glad to help-” 

“-Don’t say that!” Makoto interjected. “You have to accept our thanks! You helped save everyone and you investigated for me when I couldn’t leave the Detention Center, and you even put up with all of my, uh, interjections.” 

“Put up with?” Phoenix smiled. “Those interjections were very impressive… I think you’ve got a future, if you want me to be honest with you.” 

“You were really good,” Kyoko said, turning to face Makoto. 

“I learned from the best,” Makoto replied, a blush spreading across his face. 

“I see,” Kyoko’s lips twitched, barely forming a grin. 

“I wanted to thank you too, Prosecutor,” Makoto turned to face Edgeworth. “You were amazing in there too, and seeing how you’d easily put aside a win to make sure the right person gets justice… it shows how much of a good person you are. Your past isn’t at all indicative of who you are now,” Makoto locked eyes with Edgeworth. “You’re a very kind person, Prosecutor.” 

“N-not to mention handsome,” Toko sighed dreamily. 

“You are a most admirable person, Prosecutor!” Kiyotaka exclaimed. “You even told me on the stand that a person’s familial past doesn’t shape them, and I see now more than ever that you are living proof of that!” Kiyotaka grinned and saluted Edgeworth. “You have inspired me greatly, Prosecutor!” 

A look of shock crossed Edgeworth’s features. “You really view me as an inspirational figure, Mr. Ishimaru?” Edgeworth bowed to Kiyotaka. “I’m honored, truly. I’ll try to live up to your expectations.” 

“You are an inspiration, sir!” Gumshoe said, grinning ear to ear at Edgeworth. “I’ve seen what you can do, and it’s only natural that you’d be admired. You and Wright are going places, and you’re the heroes here!” 

“You were a badass too, dude!” Leon grinned at Gumshoe. “You just tackled that bailiff and everything, and you got the antidote… it was awesome!” 

“You are much more capable than I’d give you credit for,” Celeste sighed. “I had no idea someone with your kind of dopey disposition would be capable of that.” 

“Dopey?!” Detective Gumshoe pouted. 

“That is a high compliment from Miss Lundenberg!” Hifumi said, glaring at Gumshoe. “You should be grateful!” 

“Class of 78,” Franziska’s voice echoed sharply as her boots clicked across the floor. “There is someone who’d like to speak with you.” 

Franziska’s hand was placed on the shoulders of a handcuffed Mukuro Ikusaba, who stepped forward hesitantly. Several of the ultimate’s expressions reset back to glares, and the atmosphere, which had been improving, dipped considerably. 

“Why should we listen to her?” Mondo spat. “She was Junko’s fuckin’ lapdog! She knew about the Headmaster, Pearl, an’ Hiro!” 

“I don’t want to listen to her either,” Chihiro said, avoiding Mukuro’s gaze. Phoenix was shocked he’d be so against it of all people. 

“She was complicit in the murder,” Leon scowled. He faced Mukuro. “How little did Hiro’s life mean to you? What about the Headmaster? Pearl?” Leon faltered, and he looked past Mukuro for an instant. Phoenix followed his gaze to see Hiroko, edging closer to the group, wiping the tears from her eyes. 

Phoenix turned towards her. “Hiroko-” 

“I want an explanation too,” Hiroko took a shaky breath, and turned to Mukuro. She didn’t look angry anymore. She just looked tired. “You’re a kid… and so was she. How could you two? I know you didn’t put that knife in his chest-” Hiroko took out a cigarette, gripping it tightly in her hands. “-You might as well have just done it yourself… I don’t understand you… make me understand, please.” 

“We should let her speak,” Makoto’s voice got low, and his relaxed posture tensed. “I want her to answer for what she did, and it won’t help if we just drive her away. Besides… I….still believe in Mukuro. I think she wants to make this right.” Makoto’s eyes locked with Mukuro’s. 

Mukuro looked at Makoto with puffy eyes, still wet with tears. She didn’t smile, but she looked as if she’d have hugged the smaller boy if he’d let her. Or if she didn’t have handcuffs on. Speaking of, her gloves had been removed, and Phoenix could see the wolf tattoo on her left hand, looking more mournful than angry with its snarl. 

“I’m sorry,” Mukuro dropped to her knees in front of everyone. “I messed up…. I see that now.” Mukuro locked eyes with Pearl. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I-I don’t know how I thought that your near-death experience would help you… Junko said it would give you a taste of true despair, and that it would help you in the long run. It would help you see how the world really is, and Junko promised you’d be okay by the end. She said she’d take you under her wing like she did with me, and that she’d make sure you’d see that your mindset was-” 

“-How could you ever think that was sane?!” Maya glared. “She’s nine!” 

“Pearl reminded me of myself… in a way…I just wanted to help her feel a companionship with Junko. I-I thought that anyone who Junko saw a potential in like that… was lucky. I was sorry she was going to feel pain… but I never thought Junko would kill her, until I realized how far she’d go, and how disposable people’s lives were to her.” Mukuro looked down, avoiding Pearl and Maya’s gazes. “When I saw her in that fight yesterday, running to Chihiro without any hesitation, it reminded me of me. I was a soldier at her age… and that was my instinct. Run towards the battle, or a fallen comrade with no hesitation. Sometimes… people wouldn’t make it, and it hurt me. It made me feel despair. I learned not to get attached, but when I got home to Junko, she was my one person who I let myself finally get attached to. She was my sister… I figured that sort of thing was unconditional. Junko told me all about her ideals, that despair is something powerful, something that is destined to shape the world. I-I was unsure, but then she started telling me all of these things. She told me that we have a despair so unique to the world, that it made us outcasts, and that we were each other’s only true companions. No one could possibly know what we were feeling except each other. No one could know what pain I’d gone through as a soldier, what it was like for me being in battle before I’d even hit my teens. As I got older… I realized I scared people. My talent and my disposition weren’t accepted and people shunned me. I thought… Junko was right. Our despair kept us together, it made us different. She’d convinced me, even with all of her friends and admirers, she was an outcast like me. I just wanted someone who’d understand me… who’d love me… she’s my sister. I thought everything she did, everything she said… was all for my own good. Even when I got to Hope’s Peak… everyone avoided me. Everyone except Junko and Makoto.” Mukuro looked at Makoto. “When you first smiled at me during orientation when no one else would look at me, it gave me my first taste of doubt. Junko told me that everyone has despair inside of them, and at some point, they would succumb to it. Everyone had these insecurities and flaws she’d point out to me, but I’d see Makoto pushing past those at the same time and befriending everyone. He even started to befriend me… and no one had even bothered before. Makoto’s befriending led to others, and I started to feel hope,” Mukuro looked at the ultimates. “I felt a hope that I could be accepted.” 

“You still helped kill Hiro, though,” Chihiro mumbled. “You even said it could’ve been me.”

“I-I know,” Mukuro sighed. “I didn’t want to kill Hiro, but Junko insisted on the plan. She told me that this’d be the way to finally make Makoto see what she said we saw. People’s innate despair. Junko wanted everyone to fall into despair, and she even said she’d miss Hiro. She just said that even the act of killing a friend would give her such a rush of pure despair.” 

“That must’ve been why she insisted on doing the crime herself,” Edgeworth muttered. “If she fetishizes despair this much, the opportunity to see the life draining out of the eyes of a friend must’ve been too big to pass up,” Edgeworth’s face wrinkled in disgust, and he bit back a shudder. “That is how she truly thinks, that this suffering is inevitable… almost euphoric in a way.” 

“All of that talk about her being friends with everyone wasn’t a lie, then,” Makoto said, crossing his arms. “She just viewed this as pushing her friends into her own mindset. I bet she thought she was helping us see the light, in her own messed up way.” 

“That’s why she did everything,” Mukuro said. “She wanted despair. She framed multiple people because she didn’t want people coming together to hope. She wanted everyone to fester in distrust. She showed me how easy it was to do that… and I believed it at first. At the time, I didn’t think that one of the reasons she’d targeted Makoto was because he’d try to stop that right away and he’d have the best chance of succeeding.” Mukuro looked at Makoto. “She talked about you, and I now see that she was… rather fascinated with you. She was frustrated by your attitude… and she wanted to beat that down. Show by example, she said. She wanted you to see the light, and she filled my head with visions of you gravitating towards us and our cause. She told me you’d pull yourself apart to help everyone else, and it'll kill you one day. She said this plan would save you… and I loved her enough to buy into it. At the time… I saw your future as worth more than…” Mukuro faltered, her eyes darting to Hiroko. 

“You really did not value Hagakure’s life,” Celeste sighed. “It could have really been any of us but Makoto, hm?” Celeste leered at Mukuro. “Even if your views had been warped by Junko, your apologies ring hollow to me. What you said to Chihiro on the stand… it is absolutely true.” 

“If she’d told you to kill me…” Chihiro looked at Mukuro, and his expression hardened. “You would’ve. I don’t want to hear about how little you valued us,” Chihiro’s voice wavered. 

“You guys don’t have to listen-” Mukuro started. 

“No, we don’t have to at all,” Mondo glared at Mukuro. “Your excuses don’t mean shit to me. I can’t forgive ya. Not after everythin’ that happened.” 

“You lied to us,” Hina scowled. “If you’d only told us earlier how you felt-” 

“-I think the point of the story is that Junko warped her perceptions enough for her to think that was no longer an option,” The Headmaster spoke up, and the hostility in the air froze. It was the first time he’d really spoken up since the trial ended. He sighed and turned to face Mukuro. “If I hadn’t been such a neglectful headmaster… maybe I could’ve seen how your background would lead to isolation among the student body… and how that could be taken advantage of. You felt like your sister’s words were gospel. You believed so fully in her message because it was one that resonated with you, that spoke to your desires to be understood and accepted. I used to think that way sometimes myself…” 

“Aren’t you angry with her?” Kyoko questioned. “After everything-” 

“-She wasn’t the one who brought me my tea,” the Headmaster sighed. “I am too angry at myself and Miss Enoshima to truly feel anger towards Miss Ikusaba.” The Headmaster gave Mukuro a sympathetic look, while Mukuro herself, still on her knees, looked stunned at the Headmaster’s grace. 

“I do not believe we are truly the ones that Ikusaba’s apologies must be directed at,” Sakura said gently. “This exchange… Mrs. Hagakure, the Headmaster, and Pearl are truly the ones who deserve the right to deny or accept her apologies.” 

“We were affected too,” Leon countered. 

Pearl stepped forward and lightly placed a hand on Mukuro’s shoulder. Mukuro’s eyes widened and she stiffened and shied away, as if she didn’t trust herself around Pearl. They were roughly at eye level. Phoenix took a step forward out of pure reflex, but Pearl gently shook her head. Everyone’s eyes were locked on the two. 

“You saved me,” Pearl said, giving Mukuro a small smile. “During that fight, in this dream I had, and when Detective Gumshoe fought with Junko.” 

“A dream?” Mukuro’s eyebrows furrowed. 

“I was being chased by Monokumas and Junko,” Pearl said. “You were carrying me in your arms, and you were carrying me to safety. You sacrificed yourself for me, and you died for it. It made me sad… and you’d chosen to let Junko hurt you. I-I’m glad that part of the dream didn’t come true. You did something bad… but I think you’re a good person. Even if you can be kinda…. scary.” 

Mukuro bowed even further, and began to shake. “I-I don’t deserve your forgiveness,” she choked out. 

“That doesn’t matter,” Franziska stated matter-of-factly. “The point is that you got it, and you must accept it. You are a foolish girl,” Franziska sighed. “Your time in battle has left you susceptible to a belief that you cannot be redeemed. Pearl and the Headmaster see a hope in you that you are too foolish to even see, and that you have denied for so long.” Franziska whipped the floor next to Mukuro. “Get up, Mukuro Ikusaba. You cannot stay on your knees forever. You have to decide whether you act on the grace given to you to move forward, or if you will be a foolish fool and stagnate in your pool of self pity.” 

“That was pretty intimidating,” Hina muttered. 

“More like amazing,” Komaru sighed. “I wish I could talk like that.” 

“What you said to me before we came over,” Mukuro stood up on shaky legs, eyeing Franziska. “Is it true?” 

“Yes,” Franziska sighed. “However, it is not something I wish to discuss in front of this crowd. Not here.” 

Phoenix raised an eyebrow, but before he could wonder what was happening, his mind turned to another matter. There were still two people that had yet to forgive Mukuro, two that were very important. Phoenix turned to where Hiroko Hagakure stood, still as a statue. 

“Mrs. Hagakure-” Mukuro started.

Hiroko held up a hand. “I think I get some of what you’re saying,” she sighed. “I wasn’t the best kid either… though my situation was way different. I-I still can’t really say I forgive you,” Hiroko shook her head. “I’m sorry, kid, but I have to be honest with you. I can promise you I’ll work up to it one day, but imagine how important Junko was to you. Multiply it by ten. That’s what Hiro was to me.” 

“I understand,” Mukuro said softly. “I hope I’ll be worthy of your forgiveness one day, Mrs. Hagakure.” Hiroko offered a curt nod in return before taking a puff of her cigarette and stepping away from the group. 

“Makoto,” Mukuro looked at him sadly. “I-I don’t expect you to forgive me, or want to see me after today but-” 

“-He has to forgive you,” Kyoko sighed. “That’s just who he is.” 

Makoto managed a small smile. “I… yeah. It takes a lot for me to truly lose hope in someone,” Makoto took Mukuro’s hand gingerly. “I still believe in you. I know it’s going to take time to really make you understand that you’re not beyond saving, that there is still hope for you. The Headmaster accepted you into Hope’s Peak because he saw something in you. I wanted to be your friend because I saw the same thing, someone who had hope, someone who was waiting for someone to help bring that hope and kindness out. You’re better than you think you are, Mukuro. You messed up, but you’ll deal with it. I’ll be there to help you. I’ll visit you in the detention center,” Makoto smiled. “The guards know me by name, so I’ll have no problem knowing what to say to get a visit anyway! I promise to visit.” 

“I-I don’t deserve your friendship…” Mukuro looked at Makoto with a small smile. “I’m lucky to have met you, Makoto. I don’t want to know who I’d be if I hadn’t.” 

“Makoto isn’t your only friend,” Sayaka said, giving Mukuro a small smile. “I-I can’t say I’m not mad at you, but the Mukuro I’ve gotten to know is real, and I want to believe in you too. Makoto and Pearl do, and I don’t want to give up either. I’ll visit.” 

“I will too,” Sakura said, gently nodding to Mukuro. “You are loyal, Ikusaba, and that was taken advantage of. I know what it is like to feel alienated because of your disposition and talent… and I was lucky to be accepted. Hina never judged me, and thus was able to help the rest of the class look past my appearance. I do believe Junko held you back from widening your social circle, and that counteracted Makoto’s influence. I wish to be that positive influence to you,” Sakura bowed. “You can make this right, Ikusaba.” 

“I’m gonna visit too!” Pearl declared. “I want to help you be good!” 

“Pearly…” Maya’s lips curled into a smile. “I’m going with you, of course.” Maya turned to Mukuro. “You made me realize that I’m really lucky. Mia was an amazing older sister who taught me so many good things. If she’d been like Junko, I’d have been just like you. I would’ve done anything for Mia, and if she’d abused that… I’d be a very different person.” Maya looked at Mukuro with kind eyes. “If Pearl forgives you, I want to respect that, and I want to help you too. Us sisters have to stick together, after all.” 

Mukuro’s eyes widened and she bowed back, wordlessly. She was overwhelmed with those declarations, even if the rest of the class didn’t seem to share that same spirit. Makoto’s words had moved them into silence rather than hostility, but Phoenix noticed that a lot of them looked at Mukuro still with varying degrees of suspicion, disappointment, and resentment. At the very least, Sayaka and Sakura looked at Mukuro with pity and sympathy, and Makoto, Pearl, and Maya looked at her with kindness. Phoenix wasn’t really sure what to think. Pearl had forgiven her, and that meant a lot in his eyes, but he was still hesitant. 

Mukuro turned to Phoenix. “Thank you for standing by him when I should’ve been,” she said, bowing to Phoenix. 

Phoenix looked at Mukuro, and he suddenly remembered a similar situation. Iris Fey, finally accepting forgiveness, accepting her mistakes, and setting herself on a better path. Iris had finally been freed from the shackles of her sister and mother, and had fresh eyes to the world around her. She’d realized she had people in Sister Bikini and Phoenix. She wasn’t reliant on Dahlia, and Mukuro wasn’t reliant on Junko anymore. Wait, weren’t they-

“-You’re on your way to the Detention Center, right?” Phoenix asked. 

Mukuro nodded. “Prosecutor von Karma told me I’m getting a brief hearing tomorrow to give me a sentence, but I’ll be placed in the Detention Center tonight regardless.” 

“There’s someone I think you should look for when you get there,” Phoenix said, making eye contact with Mukuro. “She’s serving a sentence as an accomplice, and I think she could really help you with how you view yourself and your… dynamic with Junko. She’s a lot like you in a few key ways, and I think she’d be a great influence, and someone to talk to when visiting hours are closed.”

“Iris Fey,” Byakuya interjected, his eyes widening. “I didn’t even think that she’d still be serving her sentence-” 

“-I suppose she did play a role in that crime as well,” Kyoko said. She turned to Mukuro, her expression stoic. “I think you should talk to her,” she said. 

Mukuro nodded. “I will, thank you.” 

“She’s my sister,” Pearl grinned. “You better be nice!” 

Mukuro looked taken aback to see Pearl so unabashedly playful again. “I-I will be very kind,” she said. Phoenix concluded she’d never been much of a jokester. 

The courtroom doors opened, and Officer Ishimaru strode in, evidently having dropped off Junko and the former bailiff at the Detention Center already. He picked up the jackets still strewn about the floor, muttering something about toxins still being on the jackets from the poison, and how they’d have to be washed before being redistributed, despite the groans from some of the now cold ultimates. He did, however, gingerly pluck Kiyotaka’s armand from his uniform jacket to hand back to him, though it looked a bit out of place on his plain undershirt.

“It’s time, Miss Ikusaba,” Officer Ishimaru said, breaking them all from their focus on jackets. He motioned her to come forward. “Say your last goodbyes for now.” 

Mukuro turned towards everyone one last time. “I’ll try my best,” she said. “I will try to finally have hope. I know I’ll probably never have the opportunity to be a part of the class again. I understand. What I did was unforgivable… but I’ll try to make myself into a person worthy of the title ultimate again, someone who’d even be worthy of standing behind or beside any of you. I have a lot to learn… there is a lot I don’t understand… but that doesn’t matter now. I’m ready to face the truth. I want to see this world with my own eyes.” Mukuro locked eyes with Kyoko, whose eyes narrowed. Mukuro merely gave her a respectful nod. “You’re very lucky,” she murmured, and with that, she was gone. 

Everyone remained silent as they watched her retreating form exiting through the courtroom doors. Phoenix felt a stirring of pity in his gut, and he thought of shouting after Mukuro, but he had no idea what he’d say to her. At the very least, he was comforted by the idea that she’d get to talk to Iris. Iris was kind and patient, and she’d understand Mukuro in a way none of them truly could, no matter how much Mukuro told them. Hiroko walked back over to the group, evidently having smoked the rest of her cigarette while she’d waited for Mukuro to leave. 

“I’m sorry,” she sighed. “I just had to collect my thoughts.” She turned to the ultimates. “I wanted to apologize to you all,” she said. “I yelled at you all just yesterday, and you all did nothing wrong. Some of you were even his close friends… and I’m sorry I insinuated you would ever… I hated the idea of losing my temper with children-” 

“-You don’t have to apologize for anything, Mrs. Hagakure,” Leon said sadly. “You were just upset, and you had no idea what was going on. I-I get it. I was really upset too. I-I really miss Hiro. He was a good friend. Damn it,” Leon blinked rapidly, trying not to tear up. “T-this just wasn’t fair. He didn’t deserve to die.” A dawning look of horror crossed Leon’s features. “I-I might’ve even been responsible for it… when I mentioned the study session to Sayaka when I was telling her I’d be free Friday night… Junko was right there…” 

“No!” Chihiro cried suddenly. He looked at Hiroko with conviction. “I-it wasn’t Leon’s fault. I was in my room, but I had headphones in… and I could’ve helped… and it’s my fault! I’m sorry, Mrs. Hagakure!” 

“Stop it!” Kiyotaka interjected. “If I had not suggested the study session in the first place… none of this would’ve happened.” He turned to Hiroko and hung his head. “If anyone deserves scorn in your eyes, it is me! We do not deserve your apologies!”

“That’s not true, Kiyotaka. You really are your father’s son, huh? Just like how he's described you. Noble to a fault.” Hiroko managed a brief, sad smile, as Kiyotaka looked at her puzzledly. Hiroko’s smile faded as her eyes left Kiyotaka to concentrate on Chihiro and Leon. “You all didn’t deserve the guilt and grief that came with that death,” Hiroko said sorrowfully. She reached out and gave Leon’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Hiro talked about you, you know. I remember you coming over to our house, how you two would talk about baseball or music, or whatever. I do believe being friends with you helped him grow as a person..” Hiroko sighed. “He could still be a bit of a slacker… but I believe being part of your little class group helped bring out a side of him I’d never seen before. He really did care about you guys. It was like he had a number of rather talented siblings.”

That is what it took, and it was like another dam had broken. Leon began to quiver, and tears rolled down his cheeks as he mumbled apologies, and soon Chihiro and Kiyotaka joined him. Hina and Sayaka also began to tear up, and Makoto looked down, clutching his hoodie with guilt and sadness. Even Kyoko clenched her fists and furrowed her eyebrows, unable to say anything. 

“Hiro… wouldn’t want you guys to be sad,” Hiroko said, still gingerly holding Leon’s hand. She released her grip and turned to face the ultimates. “You all have to cheer up, okay? Leave the grieving to me,” she sighed. “You guys need to be kids again… all of you. I don’t, and could never blame any of you. In fact, I have to thank you.” Hiroko turned to Makoto. “You actually tried to save him… and that means more to me than you know. In a way… all of you saved him,” she faced all of the ultimates again. “You all gave Hiro the drive to actually do something with his life… and this was going to be his graduation, finally,” she sighed. “You all have a lot to be proud of, and I’m proud of all of you. Y-you all are welcome at my house anytime… if you all need anything… I’ll be around.” Hiroko sighed, turning to Phoenix and Edgeworth. “Thanks for finding the truth, you both really can keep a promise.”

“Of course,” Edgeworth said. “It’s our duty to find the truth.” 

“Hiroko,” Phoenix said, feeling brokenhearted looking at Hiroko. “I have something for you.”

She looked tired and sad, but she was trying her hardest to put on a strong facade for the ultimates, for Hiro’s sake. He wondered who would be around to comfort her after the trial. Phoenix rummaged around in the court record and produced Hiro’s tarot card deck, the tarot book, and the Monokuma figurine. 

“You should have these,” Phoenix said, gently pressing them into Hiroko’s hands. “They were Hiro’s, and they should be yours now.”

Hiroko blinked back tears, and clutched the items close to her chest. “Thank you,” she murmured. “I’ll hold onto these for as long as I live.” Hiroko turned away, barely able to keep from crying as she held Hiro’s items close. “I-I’ve got to be on my way… but don’t be a stranger, Phoenix Wright. She turned to Maya. “Thank that sister of yours too… and ask her how Hiro’s doing. I hope he’s at peace,” she said as she left on shaky, grieving legs, as if any step would falter and she’d collapse on the floor. 

“I feel awful,” Detective Gumshoe sighed, looking after Hiroko sadly as she left. “I-I wish we could do something for her…” 

“It’ll take time, Detective,” the Headmaster murmured quietly from his side. “These things take lots of time. There’s a lot that needs to happen over time…” the Headmaster gently detached himself from Gumshoe’s grip. “I need to make some changes… clearly… and that will take time. I want to make sure that no parent has to go through what Mrs. Hagakure just did.” The Headmaster’s face grew grim. “What Miss Enoshima said… she was right. There is so much at Hope’s Peak that could give way to despair…. There are so many things I chose to overlook just to convince myself of my utopia, there are so many students that are susceptible to her, and I had too much blind faith in talent alone…. that caused me to trust something as simple as a cup of tea handed to me by someone I should’ve been suspicious of. I need to change.” The Headmaster looked at Edgeworth. “You saved my life with your quick thinking, based on what Detective Gumshoe told me… and I will not let your diligence go to waste. I will make an effort to change the school. I will make it truly worthy of its name.” 

Edgeworth nodded. “I believe you will, Headmaster,” he said. “You have extraordinary students from what I can see, and I believe they will be great assets to you. I think they represent the reason your school was founded. Extraordinary talent and a hope for the future. You just have to be willing to contend with someone’s flaws, their history. You must be available to the students…” Edgeworth paused and made eye-contact with Gumshoe, as if he wanted to say more, but he held himself back. Phoenix figured it was probably about Kyoko, but he figured Kyoko wouldn’t want to address that in front of the group. 

The Headmaster seemed to pick up on Edgeworth’s hidden meaning, and managed a small smile. “Detective Gumshoe and I had already begun to talk on our way over here… and I have a lot to improve on, I know.” He spared a brief glance at Kyoko, who actually maintained his gaze, but her expression didn’t change. 

“I have to get back to the school,” the Headmaster said. 

“No, you need rest,” Kyoko fired back. “You won’t do any good if you work yourself to death.” 

“You were poisoned, pal,” Detective Gumshoe said, shaking his head. “You seriously need to take it easy.” 

The Headmaster sighed. “I know this, but I have other students to worry about. I need to be there for them. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” With those words, the Headmaster left before anyone else could protest, presumably to catch the closest means of transportation to the school. He looked better with each step, Phoenix thought, determination and repentance undoubtedly giving him the strength to move forward. 

“Mia!” Maya suddenly shouted, before anyone could say a thing. “Mia doesn’t know Pearl is okay and she probably left this realm really worried and-” Maya didn’t say anything else, and instead knelt down without another word. When she arose again, she was Mia. 

Mia’s eyes widened as she realized she was in Maya’s body. “W-wh… Pearl!” Mia opened her arms with a wide grin as Pearl lept into her arms, and Mia spun her around with relief. “What happened?” she asked. 

As soon as those words left Mia’s lips, a cacophony of voices rang out, all talking over one another, trying to fill Mia in. All it did was create confusion and leave Mia with a look of stupor. Eventually, Franziska had enough, and a few lashes of the whip silenced the ultimates. Notably, she avoided aiming at Komaru, which prompted Edgeworth to roll his eyes. It ended up falling to Phoenix to tell her everything. As soon as he finished his summary, Mia nodded, and turned to Phoenix. 

“So, she tried to be me, huh?” She shook her head. “I bet she was awful.” 

“She was fuckin’ crazy!” Mondo exclaimed. “You’re way too cool to have been her dumbass imitation!” 

“It was an affront to your intelligence and professional demeanor,” Celeste said, shaking her head. “I apologize on her behalf.” 

Mia raised an eyebrow, a small smile crossing her features. “I didn’t think you had a lot of goodwill towards me, considering what I have said and done in the past,” Mia admitted. 

“You are far too intriguing for me to hate,” Celeste admitted. “Truly, you vexed me, Miss Mia, but you fascinate me as well. You have the potential to be an interesting opponent in cards.” 

“Wow, such a high complement!” Hifumi gasped.

“Can I ask you a question?” Kyoko asked, giving Mia a tentative glance. “W-what was it like to feel yourself…. Dying again? Was it familiar?” 

Mia gave a brief nod. “I was frightened, because I knew the sensation of going cold… fading… but I was more worried for Pearl than anything. I just wanted her to be okay. She’s my cousin, after all. However, I should’ve known that Phoenix would triumph. He’s pretty crafty,” Mia said with a knowing smile towards Phoenix. 

“He did learn from the best,” Makoto said with a small smile. 

“Aren’t you clever,” Mia noted with a chuckle. “I bet having a defendant as smart and spirited as you really helped Phoenix. You definitely fought hard, Makoto. You’re amazing.” Mia set down Pearl and placed a hand on Makoto’s shoulder. “You’ve got a real future if you’d even consider going into a courtroom again,” she said. She pointed to Leon’s pin, still on Makoto’s hoodie. “That could easily be an attorney’s badge in a few years time.” 

“Makoto’s going to be a big shot lawyer!” Hina joked, helping to ease the tension. “He’s already got the yelling part down!” 

“You’d be great, Makoto,” Phoenix said. He handed Makoto a business card from his pocket. “The door’s open for you anytime.” 

Makoto took the business card with a nod. “I really don’t know what I want to do yet,” he admitted, “But I’ll keep it in mind. I have to say… the thought of working with you guys again… I’d like to see what it’s like when I’m not a defendant.” 

“It is still stressful, I assure you,” Edgeworth cut in. “Wright has a penchant for last-minute victories.” 

“Not to mention he is a foolish fool at times,” Franziska added. 

“H-hey!” Phoenix sputtered. “I am not!” 

“Mr. Wright is a noble foolish fool!” Komaru exclaimed. 

The ultimates began to laugh and smile at Komaru’s statement. Even Edgeworth and Franziska cracked a smile, and Phoenix found himself smiling again. He supposed that being called a fool wasn’t so bad this time. 

“Hey,” Kyoko’s voice cut through the laughter. “Weren’t you all still going to go for donuts?” 

“Why are you saying that like you aren’t coming with us?” Makoto said, crossing his arms. “You deserve to have fun Kyoko and you deserve… uh, all the free donuts in the world.” Makoto blushed. 

Kyoko blushed too, and she looked to be biting back a smile. “I suppose I could…” she said. 

It was clear she still had things to say to Makoto, but Phoenix reasoned he’d never hear them here. Kyoko was too private to not talk to him alone, but it was obvious that her affection for him, her underlying admiration of his personality and warmth, was still intact. She still believed in him. It would just take time, and it seemed like they were both ready to put in the effort. Phoenix felt a grin creeping across his face. He made eye contact with Edgeworth, who gave him a knowing smile. Somehow, he thought, they both knew that Makoto and Kyoko would be okay. Edgeworth jerked his head slightly towards Gumshoe with a bemused expression, and Phoenix had to bite back a laugh at seeing the larger man’s grin, akin to a proud father. 

“Of course you’re coming,” Leon said. “You were like, the mvp out of all of us. You deserve a break, Kyoko.” 

“Come with us! You’re our friend!” 

“Our questing party will not be complete without you! Save your game here and proceed to the next checkpoint with us!” Hifumi declared emphatically. 

“You better listen to your friends, pal!” Detective Gumshoe exclaimed. “I’ll even pay for all the donuts!” 

“No,” Kyoko said. “I’ve seen your salary. That would bankrupt you, and if anyone deserves to be treated to donuts today, it’s you. You fought for those donuts.” 

“I’ll pay,” Byakuya said, raising a hand. “It’ll be a drop in the bucket.” 

“Finally, you being a rich asshole pays off,” Leon deadpanned. 

“How many donuts do you guys eat anyway?” Byakuya muttered. 

“You really don’t want to know,” Hina said with a rather manic grin. 

“S-stop looking at M-master like that!” Toko cried. 

“Before this gets weird,” Sayaka sighed. “I guess we’re all taking the bus?” 

“Not me,” Mondo said. “I’m takin’ my bike. I rode it here, after all.” 

“I wanna go on the bike!” Pearl exclaimed, tugging on Mondo’s arm. She gave him what Phoenix could only describe as puppy-eyes. “Can, I? Please?” 

“Hell yeah!” Mondo grinned at Pearl. “You’re gonna have so much fun-” 

“-Not without a helmet you’re not!” Kiyotaka exclaimed as Pearl pouted. “Pearl is a child and should be protected appropriately!” 

Mondo sighed. “I still have your helmet strapped onto the handlebars,” Mondo said sheepishly. “Ya always are goin’ on about it, so I just started bringin’ it everywhere.” 

“That is… very considerate,” Kiyotaka admitted with a slight blush. “Very well.. Just go the speed limit!” 

“Can I go, Mr. Nick?” Pearl asked, giving him the puppy-dog eyes. 

Phoenix found himself bowing under the pressure of Pearl’s adorable smile. “Fine,” he sighed. 

“I’d like to go as well, if I can fit,” Mia said, raising her hand. 

“Mia?!” Phoenix exclaimed involuntarily. “Really?!” 

“I think it would be fun, Phoenix,” Mia said, eyeing him with a frown. “Besides, I don’t get out a lot. This would be fun, and I’ll make sure Mondo goes the speed limit and that Pearl keeps her helmet on.” 

“Fuck yeah!” Mondo cheered. “I can fit ya both, since Pearl is small. I promise, I’ll go the speed limit… even if that’s kinda boring.” 

Mia smiled. “Thank you very much.” 

“Of course! I owe ya Feys so much! This is nothin’!” Mondo turned to Pearl. “Hey, let’s go fit the helmet, ‘kay? I’ll even show ya how the bike works.” 

“Yay!” Pearl cheered, jumping up and down. 

She grabbed Mondo and began to drag him towards the courtroom’s exit, and the rest of the ultimates followed, laughing along, or in the case of some of the more serious ones, merely sighing and rolling their eyes with fond annoyance. Phoenix smiled as he saw Makoto and Kyoko at the epicenter of the conversations, both of them finally looking at ease in the presence of their friends. 

“Mr. Wright?” Komaru, who’d evidently stayed behind, tapped his shoulder. “I wanted to thank you now that everyone is gone. My parents are going to want to meet you and everything, and I’ve told them how you saved Makoto… you helped him really help himself when I couldn’t… I just am really grateful to you.” 

“You were able to help,” Phoenix said reassuringly. “I was only able to help Makoto because he had the motivation to get back to his friends, and to you, when he saw you helping him.” 

“I guess… that’s true,” Komaru said with a smile. “Anyway, you have to come over for dinner sometime, so my parents can thank you too, and you can try my mom’s cooking...oh! You have to come too, Prosecutor!” Komaru turned to Franziska, completely ignoring Edgeworth, much to Phoenix’s amusement. Edgeworth, for his part, seemed to find it funny as well. 

“I promise you, I will attend your family’s dinner, Komaru Naegi, if it will make you happy,” Franziska said, offering Komaru a handshake, only to be greeted with a hug instead. 

“Yay!” Komaru beamed, releasing a startled Franziska. “I can’t wait! I’ll show you all my manga, and you can really teach me how to use the whip!” Komaru turned to go outside. “It’s a promise, okay?” she said, running off. 

“It is indeed a promise, Komaru,” Franziska said with a smile. 

“Woah,” Gumshoe said, gawking at Franziska. “I’ve never seen you so… normal, sir!” 

“Don’t get used to it, scruffy!” Franziska said with a scowl as Gumshoe cowered.

“I believe we have all met those who we can now consider friends,” Edgeworth remarked. “Indeed, Detective Kirigiri-Kyoko-, Kiyotaka, Sakura, Chihiro, even Byakuya… they have all impressed me.” 

“I think you’re right,” Mia said, giving Edgeworth a small smile. “I really like those kids… even Celeste and Hifumi, despite my earlier misgivings.” 

“I cannot agree with you there,” Edgeworth said with a sigh. “That Celeste…” 

“Card games do bring out a rather fascinating side of her.” 

“Hey, uh,” Detective Gumshoe mumbled, “Before we all go out there with everyone… are you all okay? Based on what I heard and saw with Junko…” 

Phoenix paused. He’d gotten over it, right? He had hope now, but some of Junko’s words still lingered. She’d be waiting for him. His despair was yet to come…. Did she have other things planned? What about Makoto’s crash or the bailiff who’d become her follower instantaneously? There was so much-

“-Wright, don’t do that,” Edgeworth stated harshly, placing a hand on his shoulder, jolting him out of his thoughts. “You cannot doubt yourself. I’ll admit what she said troubles me…” Edgeworth bit his lip, undoubtedly thinking back to Junko’s imitations of his own demons and regrets. “... but you are undeserving of doubt, Wright. When I see you defending others… sticking true to your beliefs...it makes me feel hope. It makes me feel something I can’t describe. Those feelings… I look at you and I want to better myself. I want to be worthy of you, Wright. You are amazing,” Edgeworth looked at Phoenix with such tender fondness that it made Phoenix’s heart flutter. Edgeworth had never looked at him like that before, and it made him feel weightless. 

“You shouldn’t doubt yourself either, Edgeworth,” Phoenix said, placing his hand over Edgeworth’s, which still lingered on his shoulder. “You’ve done so much good, and I meant every word of what I said to you in there. The person you’ve become is amazing, and you’re neither of them. Not Gant, or von Karma. You’re Miles Edgeworth…. And I really like Miles Edgeworth.” Phoenix tightened his grip on Edgeworth’s hand and looked into his eyes, starting to lose himself in the wise and kind grey of Edgeworth’s irises. Was this-

“Ahem!” Franziska coughed, biting back a knowing smirk. “I believe those children are waiting on us adults to get it together.” 

Phoenix and Edgeworth both jumped apart with a jolt, both of them red-faced as they returned to reality. Franziska looked bemused, Gumshoe was beaming, and Mia gave him a knowing glance that made him turn even redder. 

“I’m sorry,” Edgeworth suddenly turned towards Mia. “For all of-” 

“-That’s such a long time ago,” Mia sighed. She gave Edgeworth a grin. “I was never mad at you anyway. Besides, even if I had been, I wouldn’t have stayed mad long. You’re a noble person, and you’ve brought a lot of good into the lives of my family and friends.I think we’ll be seeing each other often in the future anyway… if you can get your feelings in order. You should seize the moment while you have it. Trust me. Diego and I can attest to that.” 

“I doubt they’ll ever stop being foolish enough to do that,” Franziska sighed. 

“I have faith, sir! They deserve to be happy, like Kyoko and Makoto!” Detective Gumshoe said. 

Phoenix raised an eyebrow, still feeling embarrassed, but he was now confused as well. “What are you guys-” 

“-Nevermind that,” Edgeworth said rather quickly. “Let’s go for those… uh…confectionary goods.” 

*

*

*

The five adults made their way out of the courtroom to the outside. The ultimates were in a large group, finally coming together again, their expressions looking lighter than they had in days. Luckily, the media was largely gone, and Phoenix reasoned they must’ve gone after Junko to try and get glimpses and interviews with the bloodied girl. Something about the media’s newfound fascination with Junko made him apprehensive. They had the potential to spread her message beyond the courtroom, to sensationalize it… how many potential followers would read her message in the news? How many people were like that bailiff, just waiting for someone like Junko to give them purpose? The media would follow Junko and her despair, her manic charisma… a sudden uneasiness rushed through him. He heard the laughter of the students and Pearl echoing across the front steps, and he pushed the thought out of his mind. He wasn’t going to let fear rule him, not when Junko was behind bars, and Phoenix knew she’d stay that way. 

“Mr. Nick! Cousin Mia!” Pearl grinned and waved as Sayaka tightened a red helmet, presumably Taka’s, around Pearl’s head. Mondo revved the bike and motioned for Pearl and Mia.

“Well, looks like my ride is ready,” Mia remarked with a rather giddy grin. “A ride with the ultimate biker gang leader, I’m excited!” 

Mia raced off to where Mondo was, already helping Pearl on the bike, the smaller girl grinning ear to ear as Mondo lifted her onto the bike. Mia climbed onto the seat behind Pearl, and Mondo got on in front, while Pearl held onto him, and Mia held onto Pearl. Mondo sped off, and Mia and Pearl whooped in delight, and they waved enthusiastically as their ride sped away, and Phoenix felt a smile spreading across his face as the laughter of the three receded as they tore off down the street. The remainder of the group waved off after them and walked to the bus stop. 

“The bus is here, we can still beat those three!” Hina cheered, motioning towards the bus. 

“As long as Mondo goes the speed limit,” Leon refuted. 

“He will not do anything unsafe with those two as passengers! I have total faith in him!” Kiyotaka replied. They all began to pile onto the bus, still laughing and talking. 

“Oh, Prosecutor von Karma,” Komaru exclaimed, taking Franziska’s hand. “Come sit with Toko and I!” She hurriedly pulled Franziska over to where she and Toko were, Toko blushing at the sight of Franziska. 

“Detective, Prosecutor,” Kyoko waved over Edgeworth and Gumshoe, and motioned to the seats beside her. “I insist on you two sitting with me.” 

“Hey, Mr. Wright,” Makoto, sitting next to Byakuya and across from Kyoko, waved him over, and Phoenix sat down next to him. 

Makoto smiled at him as the bus began to pull away from the courthouse, the building receding in the distance. Phoenix smiled back, relief filling his features. Makoto wordlessly looked at the rest of his classmates sitting beside him and around the bus, finally smiling and joking together after so long. He looked at peace, Phoenix thought, and that made him happier than anything. Makoto deserved this. He deserved to see his faith in his classmates wasn’t unfounded. Phoenix began to feel a similar ease as he sat beside Makoto, watching everyone else come together. He thought of Mondo with Mia and Pearl, the three of them laughing and talking as the wind whipped through their hair as they wove through the streets. Even in the slower moving bus, things were starting to come together. Kyoko and Byakuya were deep in conversation with Edgeworth, Gumshoe had leaned over to listen to Hina talk about donut flavors with a bemused Sakura, a confused Taka, and a giggling Chihiro, who’d opened up his laptop to show off Alter Ego to an amazed-looking Gumshoe. Celeste and Hifumi were even beginning to talk to Toko, presumably about Manga based on Hifumi’s rummaging through his backpack and showing off papers. Toko was nodding along, but was also watching with a smile as Komaru gabbed to Franziska. Leon and Sayaka came up to him and Makoto, Leon giving Phoenix a grin and a light punch to the shoulders, and Sayaka wrapping her arms around Makoto. Phoenix let out a laugh as he took everything in. Even now, time was already working in their favor. Looking at everyone, Phoenix felt that same airy, warm feeling he’d felt in the courtroom moments ago. Despite the uncertainty for the times ahead, he felt that familiar feeling that spurred him to look forward and keep going, to have faith that things would work out. He knew what he felt, what Makoto must be feeling too. It was what everyone was feeling, Phoenix realized. They all felt that familiar feeling that pushed them to try their best and move forward together. 

Hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, there it is! I had a BTA and a closing argument with Junko, and in general, I wanted this trial to bet more DR than AA just to show that Junko had a certain control over the court for a while. Hopefully you guys liked the trial, and it didn't dissapoint. I wanted the ending sequence to be indicative of the ultimates moving forward, but at the same time I didn't want it to be 100% happy, because I did think that there would still be uncertainty and animosity in the air, especially with Mukuro. Overall though, I did want that feeling of almost relief you get when you play the last AA case of the chapter, and you just know that these guys are going to be okay, and they're on their way to the donut shop where Phoenix can finally get a donut. He deserves it. Also, this fic isn't over just yet! I have an epiologue chapter planned, so I'd appreciate it if you guys stuck with me for one more week!
> 
> Fun Facts:
> 
> -Junko's mention of Monaca tied into one of the original ideas I had for this crossover. It would've been in DR canon, called Ultra Despair Pearls, and Pearl gets taken into the Warriors of Hope after getting seperated from Phoenix and Maya and she eventually gets rescued and stuff, and Phoenix and Maya would've met up with Toko and Komaru somehow, and I just gave up on it because I honestly wanted an excuse for Phoenix and Co. to interact with the whole class, and in DR canon, a lot of these guys are dead, so yeah. 
> 
> -I imagined the ending scene having these two drawings like AA does at the end, one of Mondo, Mia, and Pearl on the bike, and one of the rest of the cast goofing off on the bus, but unfortunately, I cannot draw for jack. 
> 
> -Out of all the cross-franchise interactions I wrote, my favorite dynamic is between Kyoko, Edgeworth, and Gumshoe. 
> 
> -I listened to SDR2 trial music while I wrote this chapter, which was strange considering this is all about THH.


	14. Epilogue-Graduation Day (Phoenix...mostly...)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's graduation day for the 78th class of Hope's Peak Academy, and Phoenix is invited to witness it. Phoenix moves forward as he, along with the rest of the AA cast look towards the future with the new DR cast. The future is coming, and it's looking sunny. Mostly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy heck. Wow. I just can't believe the day is actually here. I can't believe I actually finished this fic. There were so many times where I got frustrated and stuck, but it all came together. I am just so, so grateful to all of you guys for sticking with this series and giving me feedback and encouragment. It means so much to me, and I really do feel like my writing has improved if you compare this fic to freaking Miles Edgeworth:Ultimate Tour Guide. I blame me not knowing AO3 format, but wow, it's weird looking back on that fic now after writing this. Anywho, this epilogue is less action-oriented and more of a love letter to the characters and their dynamics, and a bit of a "where are they now?" kinda thing. Also, I know this timeline is out of sync with AA, but consider all of the AJ events pushed back a few months in this universe, sorry. I would ask you guys what your favorite chapter was, but I have a hunch I can't top chapter 13, lol. Happy Valentine's Day, and enjoy the conclusion to Turnabout Trigger Happy Havoc. I really hope you guys like it, seriously. You all deserve a good conclusion for sticking with me this long, and I have to say it again: THANK YOU!!

May 30th, 9:00 AM 

Wright and Co. Law Offices

Phoenix eyed the rolled up newspaper he’d just placed on his desk, still unread. He’d been debating whether or not to open it. He knew that its contents were bound to upset him, and today of all days wasn’t a day for that kind of thinking. It had been nearly a month since the trial, but she was still making headlines. Every newspaper Phoenix received was now tainted with worry as he’d look at more sensationalist headlines. He took a peek at the bolded headline. He saw her name. That was enough for him to toss the paper in the garbage with a grimace. He hadn’t read the paper in a few days, it’d been so much Junko. He hated it. It felt like she was getting what she’d wanted, in a way. He wouldn’t let her ruin this day, at least. 

“Mr. Nick, we’ve got to go!” Pearl whined, tugging on Phoenix’s sleeve. “We gotta get to Mystic Maya, then we have to go right to Hope’s Peak!” 

Phoenix finished adjusting his tie in the mirror, and pinning his attorney’s badge to his tuxedo. He also slipped his magatama into his pocket. That was a habit, at this point. It felt weird not wearing the blue suit, but he figured he should dress for the occasion, and the attorney’s badge helped it feel at least a little bit more familiar. He’d tried to tame his hair as well, but he’d given up on that a while ago. He looked down at Pearl and smiled. Her hair was undone from its usual style, and instead was pushed back with a single hair clip, the one Sayaka had given Pearl after the trial. Phoenix saw the dress Pearl was wearing and resisted the urge to chuckle. 

“You’re wearing the dress Sayaka got you?” Phoenix asked, a grin spreading across his face at seeing Pearls trying to mimic Sayaka. 

Pearl nodded and grinned, twirling around in the dress to show it off. Last week, Sayaka came by the office and gifted Pearl a rather frilly pink dress, similar to the ones she wore in her idol performances. Apparently, she’d gotten Celeste to sew the dress, which Phoenix considered quite impressive considering Celeste’s largely selfish personality and the fact that there wasn’t any black on this dress. Phoenix thought she couldn’t have made anything that wasn’t gothic and dark, but the dress was pink and cutesy, just the thing that Pearl would love. Apparently, she’d used the color palette of Usami, and Pearl was thrilled about that. The dress came along with invitations from Sayaka and Celeste inviting them to the graduation ceremony of Class 78. Of course, Phoenix had already known about the event before Sayaka or Celeste asked him as their guest. Okay, that wasn’t true. Celeste’s invitation was addressed to Mia, and Sayaka’s was addressed to Pearls, but Phoenix wasn’t insulted. He’d already gotten invitations from several other ultimates. 

Makoto came first, the lucky student had come by in person to drop off the invitation and talk with Phoenix. That hadn’t been the first time he’d come by, in fact, Phoenix had kept in touch with Makoto ever since the trial came to a close. They’d written back and forth, Makoto occasionally hung out in the office and asked about his cases, and he’d even been to dinner at Makoto’s house and met both the Naegi parents. Makoto had been so excited to invite Phoenix as his guest, until Phoenix had politely pointed out that he’d already have guests in his family members. 

“You’re like family now, Mr. Wright,” Makoto had said with a smile. “So that’d apply to you too.” 

Phoenix remembered how touched he’d been. “Of course I’ll come as your guest,” he’d said. “Of course, Maya and Pearl-”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry,” Makoto laughed. “I happen to know that a lot more invitations are coming your way. I just wanted to be first.” 

Surely enough, the day after Makoto told him this, Byakuya had come by the next day to drop off his own invitation and pick Phoenix’s brain about his latest cases. It had become almost impossible to get the boy to leave, and he’d nearly torn Phoenix’s file cabinets apart during their chat. Phoenix was honestly a bit overwhelmed. Then came Toko’s invitation in the mail along with a copy of the manuscript of her latest story,  _ The Solitary Travels of the Blue Paladin.  _ Phoenix still had the copy of the manuscript in his office, and the story was so addicting, he’d read through it in a single night. The character had been a mashup of him and Edgeworth, he realized, and it spoke of their quest to slay a demonic enchantress with multiple heads. Of course, there had been a whole love story along the way with a rather bookish young princess, but he supposed that was par for the course from Toko. He’d then gotten invitations from Hifumi, Sakura, and Hina. Hifumi’s came with a drawing of him as a knight, Sakura’s came with a single line of calligraphy, and Hina’s invitation had been addressed to Maya and sent along with a box of donuts. An electronic invitation had popped up on his computer from Chihiro (who’d also offered to help modify his computer anytime), and Mondo had ridden past the office to drop off invitations from him and Kiyotaka, though his was addressed to Maya as well (and he’d been roped into giving Pearl a ride around the block). Lastly, Leon showed up the day before Sayaka had, with an invitation for Phoenix and an autographed baseball he’d offered up for Phoenix to sell for some extra cash. Phoenix opted to keep it in his office instead. It was a nice memento. When Sayaka herself had finally arrived with invitations from her and Celeste, she’d bemoaned how late she’d been, though Phoenix assured her it was okay. Besides, she’d clearly been thoughtful enough to get a gift for Pearl as well. Speaking of Pearl, most of the invitations had been primarily addressed to her as well. Only Leon, Makoto, and Byakuya’s invitations had specifically been addressed to him. 

“Mr. Nick,” Pearl said, tugging at her dress. “Mystic Maya is never gonna leave that gym unless we drag her, and I don’t want to be late! C’mon!” 

“Just a sec, Pearls,” Phoenix replied, making one last attempt to smooth out his hair. 

“You look the same anyway,” Pearl complained, practically jumping with impatience. “C’mon! C’mon! If we get there early, Mondo promised he’d let me ride his bike!” 

“You can’t ride it in that dress, you’ll ruin it!” Phoenix exclaimed. 

“No I won’t,” Pearl shook her head stubbornly. “I’ll be extra careful. Oh!” Pearl ran back to the corner of the office and reached behind a plant. She pulled out a small, pink helmet with rabbit ears on it. “Mystic Maya’s special new friend got this for me a while ago! She said her friend let her have it, and she gave it to me!” 

Phoenix raised an eyebrow. “Her special… do you mean Akane?” Phoenix pursed his lips. “Pearls, you do know that Maya and Akane are-” 

“-They’re best friends who go out for burgers together and go to the gym with the giant!” Pearl grinned, completely oblivious. 

Phoenix sighed, but he figured Maya should be the one to explain it to her. She’d already been trying to undo the damage that Morgan Fey’s mentality had done to Pearl’s perception of romance. “Pearls,” he said, “Where did Akane even get that helmet? She works at the Monokuma Party Palace and that’s Usami merchandise!” 

Pearl nodded. “Yeah, but she says she’s friends with the manager of the Usami store, and she got this for me for free. Apparently the other manager heard about what I did, and once she knew it was for me, she just gave it up without a second thought! Akane says she’s really nice anyway.” 

“That’s great,” Phoenix said. “At least… it matches the dress. I guess if you’re careful it won’t get ruined.” 

Phoenix sighed. There was no point trying to fight this battle, as he knew Pearl would find some way to get onto the motorbike. She had what Maya called “puppy-eyes'' and Maya had gleefully informed him that Mondo was apparently a sucker for those, as he’d let Pearl do whatever she wanted whenever she’d ask with the eyes, which usually involved taking her for bike rides. Of course, that’s when he’d found out that Maya and Pearl hung around the ultimates all the time when he was working, and they had a lot of stories he’d never even heard. He reasoned it was just as well, Maya deserved some younger friends that weren’t up to their ears in paperwork. 

“Yay!” Pearl cheered. “We’ve got to get a move on! Mystic Maya is gonna need us to get her right away!” 

“I still can’t believe she accepted a workout invitation at seven in the morning,” Phoenix sighed. “Akane really has started her down a dangerous path. Her and Nekomaru…” 

Pearl tugged on his arm, and they headed towards the door. Phoenix took a last glance at the office, and he couldn’t help but smile. He saw Toko’s manuscript, Hifumi’s drawing, Leon’s baseball, the Usami figurine, and even an empty donut box from when Hina gave it to Maya. He hadn’t realized how much the ultimates had impacted his life, truly, until now. They were littered throughout his office, and throughout his routine. Thinking about them graduating and going off into the world made him both nervous and proud. 

Pearl grinned at him as they headed outside. “You wanna know something, Mr. Nick?” Phoenix nodded, which led Pearl to motion for him to come closer. When he did, she pulled him down and leaned next to his ear. “Sayaka told me that her and Leon’s song about me is finally done, and she’s going to sing it for me today.” 

“Pearly, that’s amazing!” Phoenix grinned, and Pearl radiated with excitement. Phoenix felt lighter with each step. Today would truly be something amazing, he could feel it. 

******************************************************************************

May 30th, 10:00 AM

Nidai’s Training Centre

When Phoenix and Pearl walked into Nekomaru Nidai’s gym, they were immediately assaulted with the all-too familiar yell of the larger man, the same yell that sent Larry running for the hills. 

“COME ON MAYA FEY! PUT YOUR BODY INTO IT! LET THE SPIRITS OF YOUR ANCESTORS AND THOSE YOU CHANNELED AID YOU! DO NOT FALTER NOW!” 

“C’mon Maya! This’ll be a great workout before we get burgers, and if ya do this, you’ll be one step closer from bein’ able to fight like Coach Nekomaru an’ me!” 

“What are you doing to Mystic Maya?!” Pearl cried, rushing from the doorway to the center of the gym. 

In the center, Nekomaru and Akane were standing over Maya, who was struggling with benching a barbell. Maya was in workout clothes (though she still wore her medium’s beads), and sweat poured from her reddened face. A look of almost unearthly determination crossed Maya’s features and she pushed up the barbell with a warrior’s cry, and Phoenix and Pearl jumped back in shock. 

“What’s happening to her?” Phoenix exclaimed. 

“She’s realizing her natural power!” Nekomaru thundered, turning to face Phoenix and Pearl. He was grinning ear to ear. “She’s making amazing progress! I believe this will help her with her spirit medium training.” 

“Wait, what?” Phoenix raised an eyebrow. “How do you know about that?” 

“Maya told me all about her experiences and occasional hardships with channeling,” Nekomaru answered. His expression was completely serious. “Whenever I take on a new client or team, I learn all I can about them, so I can help them bring out their best. With Maya, I believe her spirituality is where her inner power lies. In order to stoke that fire, her workout is designed to push her to her limits, like traditional training for mediums with the Kurain technique!” 

“You looked up the Kurain channeling technique?” Phoenix marveled, honestly impressed at this point. He’d assumed that Maya went to these workouts because Akane insisted, but he could see the benefits now. Nekomaru was more astute than Phoenix had given him credit for. 

“OF COURSE!” Nekomaru bellowed. “IT WOULD BE AN INSULT TO HER CULTURE AND NEEDS IF I DIDN’T!” Nekomaru glared at Phoenix, his eyes teeming with electricity and passion. “BESIDES, I HAVE WANTED TO GO TO HAZURAKA TEMPLE TO TRAIN FOR A WHILE NOW! I WANT TO BE LOCKED IN AN ICY TOMB!” 

“Spirit mediums can only be girls,” Pearl mumbled. 

“Anyone can travel there, though, yes?” Nekomaru said, quieting down, sensing that he’d scared Pearl in his intensity. 

“Yeah Coach Nekomaru, you could go!” Maya said, finally standing up with Akane’s help. Akane gently took the barbell from Maya and set it on the floor. Phoenix couldn’t help but notice Maya was eyeing Akane’s muscles, though he wasn’t going to comment on that, Maya would kill him. Maya turned to Nekomaru. “You’re really serious about all of this stuff, huh?” 

“Hell yeah he’s serious,” Akane exclaimed. “He’s a tough old man! He’ll do anything to make himself stronger, and you both have been goin’ on nonstop about Kurain and stuff… we should all go!” 

“Huh?” Maya crossed her arms. 

“The Hazuraka thing! You could show your spiritual side and all that stuff, and Coach Nekomaru and I could come along to train with you and get stronger. I’d totally want to cheer ya on!” Akane grinned at Maya, and Maya’s cheeks grew even more flushed. 

“I told you guys about what happened last time, though,” Maya frowned. 

“This time, we’ll be there!” Akane cheered. “We won’t leave your side, and this way, we’ll get to see your cool Kurain stuff, and you’ll get to train. I know what Coach Nekomaru said, and us three standing in the cold shower isn’t the same as that waterfall thing you told us about!” 

“Akane is right,” Nekomaru said. “You must face your demons to become stronger! It’s settled! Pack up, because we’re leaving for Hazuraka-” 

“-Wait!” Phoenix interrupted, stepping in between them. “We can’t be planning anything now, we have to go!” Phoenix turned towards Maya. “The graduation is today, and we have to get there soon, Pearly wants to talk with the class, and I’d honestly like that too.” 

“Oh, no!” Maya’s eyes widened. “I totally forgot! We were going to get massages soon… oh well.” 

“Go get changed, Mystic Maya!” Pearl said, crossing her arms and huffing. “We have to go! You always come here now anyway.” 

“Aw, Pearly,” Maya ruffled Pearl’s hair. “You’re not jealous, right? You look adorable, by the way. That’s the dress Sayaka got you!” 

“That does look like the frilly stuff she’d wear,” Akane said, crossing her arms. 

“Hey, it’s cute!” Maya protested. 

“I never said it wasn’t! She reminds me of one of my little sisters all dressed up like that!” Akane grinned at Maya. “She should meet ‘em sometime!” 

“Stop talking and get dressed!” Pearl huffed. 

“Jeez, okay!” Maya rolled her eyes and left the room, leaving Phoenix and Pearl with Akane and Nekomaru. 

“Pearl Fey,” Nekomaru knelt down to be at her level. “I’ve heard of your heroics from Maya and from some of my friends that are underclassmen… now that you have seen my methods, I’d like to extend an offer to you as well. I would like to train you. I believe your bravery is indicative of the heart of a true athlete!” 

“I… uh…” Pearl looked at Phoenix nervously. 

“YOU HAVE THE HEART OF A LION EVEN WITH YOUR WEAK APPEARANCE!” Nekomaru roared, losing himself in his own enthusiasm. “I BELIEVE YOU COULD BENEFIT GREATLY FROM TRAINING!” 

“I don’t know,” Pearl said, avoiding Nekomaru’s gaze. “It seems… scary.” 

“Don’t be scared, it’s awesome!” Akane smiled at Pearl. “If you’re anything like your cousin, it’ll be easy as pie! You just need the drive to be stronger! I think you’ve got that in ya.” 

“I’m sorry if I scare you,” Nekomaru said, unusually gently. “I just see a lot of potential in you. I’d like for you to at least accompany us to Hazuraka when we decide to go. Based on what Maya has told me of the incident, I think you’d benefit from going too.” Nekomaru’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Pearl. “There is a small part of you that feels guilty for not helping Maya, right?” 

Pearl nodded, finally looking at Nekomaru. Phoenix noticed a small smile tugging at Nekomaru’s lips, and Akane looked at him with a shrug. That was one thing he’d learned about Akane. She was very positive and energetic, but she wasn’t always aware of the situation at hand. Sometimes, Phoenix even wondered if Akane knew that Maya liked her. For all he knew, she thought this was just a new friendship. 

“Pearl,” Nekomaru placed a hand on her shoulder. “This could be where you confront your demons as well. Maya has told me you are a very good medium, but I would guess from her story that you have regrets. I remember having those too, even at a young age, though that is a story for another time. You can be there for Maya when you weren’t before. You will have us there to encourage you, and you can even endure the training if you wish. I think that Maya would want you there.” 

“Yeah,” Pearl nodded, a small smile starting to spread across her face. “I guess you’re right. I’ll go for Mystic Maya.” 

“What about you, dude?” Akane turned towards Phoenix. “You want in too?” 

“No,” Phoenix shook his head. “I have work, but I’m uh, flattered.” Truthfully, Phoenix didn’t think he’d live through a training session with Nekomaru and Akane, especially one in the mountains of the Hazuraka Temple. Honestly, it was a testament to how much she liked Akane that Maya even managed to get through it. 

“Hey, you brought the helmet I got from Chiaki!” Akane grinned and pointed at Pearl’s helmet, having diverted her attention from Phoenix’s refusal rather quickly. “You like it, right?” 

“I do,” Pearl nodded. “Thank you!” Pearl smiled at Akane. “I’m glad you and Mystic Maya are friends. You're really nice, and uh, Mr. Nidai is too when he isn’t yelling!” 

“I’m glad she’s my friend too,” Akane said. “She’s really great.” Akane’s cheeks dusted pink for a brief moment, and Phoenix had to suppress a smile. 

“You can call me Coach Nekomaru,” Nekomaru said to Pearl. “That is what everyone who trains under me calls me. Besides, Nidai seems too formal!” 

“Hey, Nick!” Maya came bounding from the changing room, only wearing her purple robe over her workout clothes. Her hair fell messily around her face. “I’m ready to go!”

“Maya! What about your robes?” Phoenix sighed. “You do realize we’re on our way to a nice event, right?” 

“Sorry,” Maya apologized, hanging her head. “My robes are still really wet from the shower.” 

“You showered in your clothes?” 

“We stood under the cold water in our clothes to start the workout, Nick! It’s part of my specialized training! We all did it. Oh!” Maya snapped her fingers. “I’ll just ask one of the girls for a spare dress when I get there! Besides, I think they’ll be glad we’re there regardless.”

“I guess,” Phoenix said, resisting the urge to facepalm. “Let’s just get a move on.” 

“See you later, Akane!” Maya grinned, waving at the other girl. “We’re on for another workout tomorrow, right?” 

“Yup!” Akane waved back. “Oh, and Coach Nekomaru and I aren’t lettin’ you get out of going to Hazuraka!” 

“IT’LL BE A MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE!” Nekomaru exclaimed. “Oh,” he said, in a much more level voice. “Tell Leon and Sakura I say hi, and congratulations.” 

“Leon and Sakura?” Phoenix questioned. 

Nekomaru nodded. “I’ve trained with those guys a lot, so it’s only natural to want to give them my best!” 

“Oh, tell Hina I say hi,” Akane added. “No real reason, I just like hangin’ out with her. Oh, and that guy with the big hair can be fun too!” 

“You mean Mondo?” Pearl asked. 

“Yeah, that guy!” 

“Okay, we’ll tell them. See you guys around,” Phoenix said. 

“Hey, Phoenix Wright,” Nekomaru’s eyes flitted over to him. “You have a rather impressive physique. Have you considered training?” 

“We’ve really got to go,” Phoenix said hastily, pushing Pearl and Maya out the door before Nekomaru could get another word in. 

“Man, him and Hajime. Those two just won’t join, huh, coach.” He heard Akane say. “You should offer him a massage next time!” 

Phoenix breathed a sigh of relief as they left. He liked Akane and Nekomaru, but they were very intense. He’d happened to see one of their brawls when they’d dropped off Maya, and spontaneously gotten into a fight in front of their office. He’d suddenly understood why Larry was so afraid of Nekomaru, even if the guy could be surprisingly thoughtful. Plus, if he had to train with Nekomaru, Phoenix didn’t think he’d make it out alive. Unlike Maya, he didn’t happen to have a crush on Akane, so that ruled out any possible reason to want to subject himself to that kind of torture. Though, he did wonder if that trip to Hazuraka Temple would really work out. There was a tiny part of him that wanted to tag along if it did. 

******************************************************************************

May 30th, 10:40 AM

Hope’s Peak Academy, Main Gate

“Nick, I’m telling you, he gives the best massages ever!” Maya said, still rambling on about her training with Akane and Nekomaru. “It’s like a whole new realm of relaxation. It’s like all of my muscles are on cloud-nine!” 

Phoenix nodded absentmindedly, his main focus going towards the gates of the academy. They were as tall and imposing as ever, the austere logo of Hope’s Peak looking down on him, but he no longer felt intimidated. It was as if the evil had been flushed from the school. There was no need to be scared now, and in fact, he felt a familiar warmth as he stepped inside the gates with Maya and Pearl in tow. 

“Mr. Wright! You came!” Makoto came bounding up to them in a cap and gown. He took off his cap briefly, and Phoenix was amused to see his single spike of hair still standing upright on his head. 

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Phoenix said with an earnest smile. “I’m so happy for all of you guys.” 

“Everyone is really excited to see you,” Makoto mentioned. “I was waiting around out here because I just needed to be the first one to greet you. We’re all in the gym.” Makoto turned to Maya and Pearl. “Pearls, you look great and Maya--uh, you look good too.” 

“Hey, Coach Nekomaru and Akane are intense workout partners!” 

“Ah,” Makoto chuckled. “I guess it doesn’t matter.” 

“Hey, are you nervous at all?” Phoenix asked Makoto. “I mean, you’re graduating and leaving high school. Everything is going to change and it just seems like a lot. The class is going to separate and-” 

“-Mr. Wright,” Makoto held up a hand and smiled. “Just wait until you really see everyone again. I think you’ll be a lot less worried. Besides, we weren’t all going to be attached at the hip regardless. We all have different destinies.” 

“What about you and Kyoko?” Maya asked, crossing her arms. “Did you guys ever make up? I mean, we’ve hung out, but neither of you ever went into detail, but you seemed cool. I hope you guys did.” 

“Yeah,” Makoto smiled, and his cheeks turned red. “We, uh, made up. We talked a lot after the trial and came to a lot of realizations. We’ve been repairing our relationship ever since, and I-I think we’ve gotten even closer now.” Makoto held onto his robes with a grin. “I’m really lucky that she forgave me… and I’ve been thinking. I really like Kyoko. To tell you the truth, I’ve had a crush on her for a while now.” Makoto looked at Phoenix and he was bright red. 

Phoenix couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his lips. Maya chortled as well, and Pearl squealed with excitement, jumping up and down. 

“You’re laughing?! Mr. Wright, I trusted you!” Makoto yelped, putting on his graduation cap to try and hide his blushing face. 

“No, no!” Phoenix waved his hands in front of him and bit his lip to stop the laughter. “It’s just that-” 

“-It’s so obvious, Makoto!” Maya whooped. “It’s about time! Now that you guys made up… hey, what exactly did you say to each other?” 

“It’s personal,” Makoto said quickly. “She wouldn’t want me to say, and honestly, I wouldn’t anyway. Sorry.” 

“Nah,” Maya shook her head. “No need to apologize. In fact, I’m excited for you. I think you should tell her as soon as possible!” 

“Hey, I’m just going to focus on graduating,” Makoto sighed. “I’ll work up to that.” 

“You’re graduating!” Pearl protested, turning to Makoto. She grabbed his robes with surprising force. Her eyes teemed with Nekomaru-level intensity. “You have to tell her! You’re going to go your separate ways otherwise, and then true love will slip by you before you know it!” 

“Pearl, we’re still going to keep in touch-” 

“You won’t be in the same place anymore, and she might meet a dashing male detective! He’ll sweep her off her feet and leave you without a special someone!” 

“Pearly, let up on him!” Maya shook her head at Pearl, who continued to leer at poor Makoto. Maya turned to Makoto. “Hey, I’d tell her sooner rather than later, but I understand that you’re nervous. Just do whatever you think is best, and if it’s anything to you, I think she’s liked you too. Even during our investigations, I got that feeling.” 

“Really?” Makoto’s eyes widened. 

Phoenix sighed. “You two are rather obvious to everyone but yourselves, huh?” Phoenix placed a hand on Makoto’s shoulder. “Whatever you do, I’m sure you’ll be fine. You’re lucky, after all. Besides, I have a good feeling you two will work it out. Besides, depending on what you decide to do when you graduate, you may even have some overlapping work, huh?” Phoenix gave Makoto a knowing smile. 

“Yeah, maybe,” Makoto said. “I honestly don’t know what I want to do with my life.” Makoto looked up at Phoenix. “How did you know you wanted to be a lawyer?” 

“I wanted to help a friend who’d lost himself-” 

“-Prosecutor Edgeworth!” Makoto snapped his fingers. “That has to be the friend! Your eyes just got this familiar shine and you always look like that when you talk about him!” 

“Wait, what?!” Phoenix could feel his cheeks growing red. “I look different?!” 

“Woah, you do, Nick!” Maya grinned. “I guess Makoto isn’t the only oblivious one.” 

“You’ve got your own deal now Maya,” Makoto quipped, giving Maya a mischievous smile. “The way you talk about Akane-” 

“-Hey, we were teasing you, dude!” Maya blushed. “We were even talking about how Nick got into law to help out the love of his life!” 

“Hey, woah!” Phoenix felt his blush growing deeper. “We were talking about Makoto! Edgeworth isn’t the love of my life! What are you talking about?” 

Makoto sighed. “I’ll say this, you two need to get it together. That stuff you said about me and Kyoko… I think it applies to you guys too.” 

“You guys are just hopeless,” Maya said, shaking her head. “Let’s just leave it at that. Besides, I’ve known Akane for like a month, and you guys have had years to spit this stuff out. Not everyone has the time, you know. I just want both of you to be happy, really.” A silence hung in the air as Makoto and Phoenix both looked down, processing Maya’s words. 

“I’m confused,” Pearl piped up, tugging on Maya’s sleeve. “Are you saying that Mr. Nick isn’t your special someone?” 

“No, he never was, Pearly,” Maya shook her head. “I’ve tried correcting you…. I’ll explain it later, okay?” 

“Okay!” Pearl turned towards the school. “I wanna go inside and see everyone!” She tugged on Maya’s sleeve, and the two raced off towards the school. 

Once the two had left, Makoto turned towards Phoenix. “So, you became a lawyer out of love, or friendship, or both,” he said. “I guess it was your drive to help others, to defend those who can’t defend themselves. I just haven’t felt that calling yet. I mean, the courtroom is just so stressful. I really don’t know-” 

“-Hey,” Phoenix patted Makoto’s shoulder. “It’s okay not to have everything figured out. It took me a long time to figure out who I am. Today you should just focus on having fun with your classmates. Worry about the other stuff later. Today is the first day of the rest of your life, and you deserve to enjoy it, especially after everything.” 

“You’re right,” Makoto sighed, a smile crossing his features. “I’m going to have fun. Today is going to be a good day. Thanks for talking to me.” Phoenix smiled and nodded, as if to say it was no problem. Makoto smiled back and motioned towards the gymnasium. “Let’s go, Mr. Wright. It’s about time you saw the rest of the class.” 

Phoenix and Makoto walked off together, side by side, and headed towards the gymnasium. Even after everything, Phoenix could sense a bit of apprehension from Makoto, but that was normal. This was his final day in the school that had shaped so much of his life, for better or for worse. He was leaving his classmates, who he’d fought tooth and nail to help. Makoto was uncertain, but Phoenix also saw that familiar aura of hope radiating around him that he’d grown so fond of. It was that aura that made Phoenix able to walk alongside him with a brewing optimism behind every step, lighting a fire in his own soul. They are two kindred spirits, Phoenix realized, no matter where Makoto’s path in life would lead him. 

******************************************************************************

May 30th, 11:00 AM

Gymnasium

Phoenix and Makoto managed to catch up with Maya and Pearl, leading the four of them to enter the gymnasium together. Phoenix’s smile grew as he took in the gymnasium. He was first greeted by the pleasant melody of the piano. A blond girl with a hair spike similar to Makoto’s sat at the piano, her fingers flying as her music wafted through the air, giving the room a light, airy ambiance. Phoenix couldn’t help but be in awe at how amazing the music sounded. He wondered if he’d be any good at the piano. He’d always wanted to try. There were chairs set up on the stage, presumably for the graduates, while there were fold-out chairs for the audience. Of course, there were the ultimates themselves, all of them adorned in caps and gowns. A flash went off next to Phoenix, and he jumped in surprise. 

“Sorry!” He turned around to face a redheaded girl with a camera in her hands. “You just had such a nice smile, I had to capture it!” she said, giving Phoenix an apologetic grin. 

“Ooh! Take my picture!” Pearl said. She grinned at the girl, who laughed and snapped a picture, complementing Pearl on her smile. 

“I’m Mahiru Koizumi, and I’m an alumni of Hope’s Peak,” the girl said. “I’m the ultimate photographer, and I came back to take pictures of the graduation, and I wanted to see that photo album of yours, Makoto!” 

“Oh yeah!” Maya snapped her fingers. “Your name was in the dedication of that album or something, right? I remember now!” 

“Oh yeah,” Makoto nodded. “The whole idea for the classwide albums was Mahiru’s, after all. It’s me, Mahiru, and Kaede that are in charge of the whole thing. It was a really nice idea, Mahiru.” 

“Yeah, that album was really special,” Phoenix added, thinking back to how much joy was in each of those pictures. 

“Thank you,” Mahiru said, giving Phoenix a kind smile. “After all, my favorite photos are ones that show joy, and I wanted to capture that across the school. I didn’t just want it to be my class either, I wanted class 78 and 79 to be able to enjoy as well! I’d thought of asking Sato to help with the reserve course but…that didn’t work out.” Mahiru’s expression faltered for a moment. Makoto gave her a sympathetic look, but Mahiru smiled again, as if nothing had happened. 

“Are you in the 77th class?” Maya asked Mahiru, probably changing the subject for the photographer’s own benefit. Come to think of it, Phoenix remembered her saying something about the reserve course… no. He promised he wouldn’t think about her now. 

Mahiru nodded. “Why do you ask?” 

“Well, you’re friends with Akane, right?” 

“I guess we do still talk from time to time. You know… she did mention she’d started hanging out with the girl who helps Phoenix Wright from the case… I wanted to say she said her name was Maya?” 

“Uh, that’s them, Mahiru.” Makoto chuckled. “The girl in the workout clothes is Maya Fey, the little girl is Pearl Fey, and this,” Makoto gestured to Phoenix, “is Phoenix Wright. He even wore his attorney’s badge!” 

“What a typical boy thing to do, jeez.” Mahiru rolled her eyes and gave Makoto a disapproving look. “You could’ve introduced me from the start, y’know. It’s a guy’s job to make sure everyone is introduced!” 

“That’s kind of an old fashioned way of looking at things, don’t you think?” Maya said. 

Before Mahiru could reply, the sound of clicking heels interrupted them. The five of them turned towards the sound to see Celeste storming towards their group, a look of pure fury radiating in her eyes. Phoenix gulped. They were silent as she approached. 

“Maya Fey,” Celeste spat. “What on Earth are you wearing?” 

“Um-” 

Before Maya could say anything else, Celeste took her by the arm and dragged her away, muttering about fashion crimes and various other indignities, ignoring Maya’s protests. Phoenix winced, figuring Maya had at least gotten someone to loan her a dress, even if Celeste looked like she’d seen someone step on her cat when she’d looked at Maya. 

“Well,” Mahiru sighed. “It’s nice meeting you both, Mr. Wright and Pearl.” Mahiru looked at Pearl. “By the way, our class talks about what you did. Well, most of us anyway. You’re a real hero, Pearl.” Pearl smiled at that last remark, a small blush spreading across her face, and at that exact moment, Mahiru took another photo. “You’ve got a really nice smile too,” she said. “I’ll see you guys around.” With that, Mahiru left, presumably to go take pictures. 

“She’s nice,” Pearl said. 

“You are kind of a celebrity around here,” Makoto admitted. “Everyone has heard of you… even more than Mr. Wright, and he kinda… solved the whole thing.” 

Phoenix sighed. Upstaged by a nine year old. Truthfully, he wasn’t all that upset. Pearl really did deserve every ounce of praise she got, and he figured he’d done his job regardless of any praise he may or may not get. Besides, the thought of Hope’s Peak Academy being a Pearl Fey fanclub was amusing to him in a way. 

“Pearly!” Sayaka’s voice rang out as she approached the group. She leaned down and gave Pearl a hug. “You look so cute! I just knew you’d look adorable in that dress!” 

“Really?” Pearl beamed. 

“Of course,” Sayaka grinned. “It’s way cuter than this stuff we’re wearing… we should really get to jazz up these caps and gowns more. Did you see Celeste’s?” 

“Admittedly no,” Phoenix admitted. He’d been too busy trying to avoid her gaze of fury to notice. 

“I’m glad to see you guys made it, regardless,” Sayaka said. “It wouldn’t have been the same without you guys.” 

“Of course!” Phoenix exclaimed. He gave Sayaka a smile. “Thank you,” he said. “Not just for the dress, but for always being so kind to us. You’ve been a great role model for Pearl too, and it means a lot to see how much you looked out for her during the investigation, and even afterwards.” 

“Thank you!” Pearl added with a grin. 

“You don’t have to thank me,” Sayaka replied with a winning smile. “You guys are my friends.” 

“How are you doing?” Phoenix asked. “Is everything going alright?” 

“Yeah,” Sayaka nodded. “I’ll admit it was awkward at first trying to come together in normal school life and resume how things were, but then I think we realized something. There wasn’t anything to go back to. Sure we still had foundations of friendship, but this was a whole new terrain we were on, and we just had to start fresh. We ended up spending a lot more time together as a class, and Makoto really filled up that photo album! I think we’re really close now. Of course… if I could turn back time, I’d take it all back.” 

Makoto nodded. “We’ve been getting closer… but I’d rather have Hiro and Mukuro here. Thinking about how they aren’t here to experience this with us… it kind of puts everything into perspective a bit.” Makoto motioned to the stage, and Phoenix could see that there was one chair with a black and white picture of Yasuhiro on it, and another chair that was just empty. Yasuhiro and Mukuro. 

Phoenix felt a pang of sympathy. “I know neither of them would want you guys to feel bad about going on without them,” he offered. 

“I know,” Makoto said. “I even visited Mukuro yesterday, and she said she’s not going to try and get an escort out to the ceremony. She doesn’t want to ruin the mood by showing up, there are still people who haven’t forgiven her. Sakura, Sayaka, and I are still the only ones who visit.”

“Oh,” Phoenix murmured sadly. He had yet to visit Mukuro, even though Maya and Pearl had gone before, and described her as content, at least. Now it just made him feel bad. 

“Hey,” Sayaka said gently, offering a friendly smile to try and lighten the mood again. “Why don’t we split up and mingle? Pearl can come with me.” Sayaka extended a hand, and Pearl gleefully took it. “Hey, why do you have a helmet-oh.” Sayaka’s grin grew wider and she motioned for Pearl to follow her. 

“Hey, I’ve got to go too,” Makoto said. “I have something I want to… well, nevermind. You’ll see.” Makoto dashed off and out of the gymnasium before Phoenix could possibly wonder what he meant. He was pretty sure it was a good thing, at least. 

Phoenix surveyed the gymnasium. He saw Pearl and Sayaka now engaged in conversation with Mondo, Leon, and Chihiro, Pearl eagerly showing off her helmet. He could practically see the sigh escape Mondo’s lips as he nodded his head, presumably relenting already to Pearl’s persuasion. Phoenix walked over to where they were, to briefly say hi. 

“Fine,” Mondo sighed. “Guess I gotta get the bike ready. I guess I could take a few laps anyway, I won’t be focusin’ on that as much after I graduate anyway.” 

“Wait, what?” he heard Pearl exclaim. “You’re not going to ride your bike anymore?” She looked upset. 

“Hey, Pearly, that’s his decision,” Phoenix said gently, getting into the conversation and waving in greeting. He placed a hand on Pearl’s shoulder. 

“Nah, I’m not quittin’ or nothin’,” Mondo explained. “I’m just takin’ a step back from the gang to focus on bein’ a carpenter. I’ve decided I want an honest job, that’s all. I’m not gonna hold him back by doin’ illegal shit.” 

“Him… Kiyotaka?” Phoenix asked. 

“Yeah, we’re movin’ in together after graduation, and he’s been encouragin’ me to pursue carpentry, though I won’t be makin’ another Monokuma figurine for as long as I live. I just want him to be proud of me.” Mondo blushed slightly, which was an odd look on such a supposed tough guy. 

“He’ll always be proud of you,” Chihiro offered gently. He turned towards Phoenix with a smile. “You should hear how much Taka praises every carpentry project Mondo takes on. It’s nauseatingly sweet, and it makes Mondo blush like an idiot!” Chihiro gave Mondo a smug smile. 

“You’re lucky you’re one of my best friends,” Mondo grumbled, still blushing. “Otherwise I’d kill you.” 

Phoenix stifled a laugh, as he was certain Mondo would not be pleased. Instead, he just gave him a kind smile. “I think that’s really great, Mondo,” he said. “I’m sure you’ll be just fine, and I know Kiyotaka will be proud to be with you no matter what. That’s just who he is, at least from what I can tell.” 

“Thanks, man. I’m givin’ control of the gang to my right hand guy soon anyway, so the Diamonds won't be goin’ anywhere, and they’re still bound to that favor I promised Maya,” Mondo replied with a small smile. He turned to Pearl. “Hey, ya ready to ride? You’ve been bouncin’ up and down like an excited puppy for a while now.” 

Sayaka turned to Pearl, who was indeed jumping up and down. “Pearly, woah!” 

“Hey Pearl, if you give Mondo your signature puppy eyes he may let you drive the bike,” Leon snickered. 

“I’m not that fuckin’ irresponsible,” Mondo shot back with a glare. “She’s gotta be at least ten before I teach her to do that. That’s when Daiya taught me.” 

“Yay, one year away!” Pearl cheered, and Phoenix turned pale at the thought of Pearl driving a motorbike. 

The four ultimates plus Pearl excused themselves and headed outside. Phoenix was at least reassured that Pearl had a helmet, though the image of her one day pulling up to the office with a motorcycle was starting to haunt him already. He looked around the gymnasium for someone to talk to. He saw Toko gaping as Komaru cracked the whip in her hands with ease-wait, what? Phoenix did a double take, and surely enough, Franziska was on the other side of Komaru, showing off how exactly to hold the whip, and both girls were listening intently. He saw Hiroko and Officer Ishimaru together chatting, and Hiroko was actually adjusting Kiyotaka’s cap so it was on straight. It almost seemed…. motherly. He also saw Hiroko wearing a familiar jacket he’d recognized from crime scene photos. Yasuhiro’s. Edgeworth must’ve given it to her. If Franziska was here, that must mean-surely enough, Edgeworth was at a table of horderves, talking with Hifumi, Hina, and Sakura of all people. He wondered what those four could possibly have to talk about, and based on their expressions, it was a pretty serious debate. He wanted to go over there, but before he could, he felt a light tap on his shoulder. 

“Mr. Wright,” Byakuya said, offering a hand, “It’s nice to see you.” 

“It’s nice to see you too,” Phoenix replied. “So,” Phoenix felt the beginnings of a mischievous smile forming on his face, “Have you followed through on your promise to Makoto? To be more friendly?” 

Byakuya rolled his eyes. “Of course you brought that up first. I was hoping to speak with you about anything else.” 

“So that’s a no?” 

“It’s a work in progress,” he admitted. “Some of them can be so tiring.” 

“This may be a bit bold of me… but you aren’t used to being polite to those you used to deem, uh, well-” 

“-Inferior.” 

“I wasn’t going to say it quite so harshly… but yeah.” 

“I will admit, some of them just aren’t my cup of tea. There is no amount of bonding that will ever bring together someone like Owada and I closer, for instance. Kuwata too, despite my apologies.” Byakuya pushed up his glasses. “Though… before his death, I’d found Hagakure to be the most annoying of those three, and it was a constant battle between them.” 

Phoenix sighed. Progress did take time, he supposed. “Is there anyone you actually came to like, at least a bit?” Phoenix tried. “You can’t say Makoto either, that’d be a given.”

“Well, I’ve grown to respect you and your cohorts considerably more, along with that bumbling Detective.” Byakuya started, and Phoenix couldn’t help but feel flattered, even if Byakuya dodged the question a bit. “I will say, however, that Kirigiri and Fujisaki aren’t so bad. Maizono even has her moments when she doesn’t annoy me, and Toko-” 

“-Wait, first name basis?!” Phoenix raised an eyebrow. “Does that mean-” 

Byakuya’s face twisted in disgust. “-Hardly. After I told her everything about how I helped reveal Jill to you, and she got mad at that, and then the stuff with Naegi’s sister… she’s grown more bearable. She can actually be separated from me, so that’s a plus. We’ve worked out an arrangement.” 

“An arrangement?” 

“I spend time with her, but in turn, she’s taken on a vow to control… “ Byakuya paused, as if he was choosing his next words very carefully. “...Jill. We’ve been devising new methods.” 

“That’s great!” Phoenix said, though he did get a strange feeling when Byakuya had paused. There was something about Jill that just seemed so unexplained to him, though he figured he’d done enough snooping in that regard. It was a miracle Toko even talked to him after that second day of court. 

“Are you ready to graduate?” Phoenix asked, changing the subject for Toko’s sake. 

“Of course,” Byakuya nodded. “This day has been my destiny. After today, I will assume my rightful place as head of the Togami Corporation. If Wright and Co ever needs a sponsor, don’t hesitate to call. I owe you a favor for making this day possible, despite my own best efforts.” Byakuya reached into his pocket and handed Phoenix a business card for the Togami corporation. “Ask for me directly whenever you call,” he said. “I won’t turn you away.” 

Phoenix took the card with a small smile. “Is this your way of apologizing? You know-” 

“-Don’t push your luck, Phoenix Wright.” Byakuya muttered. “… but I have to say… thank you. You’ve helped propel this school, and by extension, the Togami corporation to new heights. I owe you a great deal.” Byakuya left, and Phoenix could see him making his way over to the front doors of the gymnasium, where the Headmaster was making his way inside, carrying some cue cards. Phoenix followed him over. 

“Mr. Wright!” Headmaster Kirigiri exclaimed. “It’s great to see you here. I trust you got invitations from numerous students. Kyoko told me to not bother worrying about sending any, so I assume they took care of it.” Phoenix nodded with a grin, and the Headmaster smiled.“Have you considered enrolling Pearl in school?” he asked. “I believe Hope’s Peak elementary could certainly make room for the Lil’ Ultimate Spirit Medium.” 

Phoenix shook his head. “I think that’d be Maya and Pearl’s decision, and I think they already have a lot of work to do with their own village and preserving their culture. It’s nice of you to offer, though.” 

The Headmaster nodded. “I understand. The offer will be here anytime. She has extraordinary talent.” 

“How’ve you been doing, Headmaster? How’s the school?” Phoenix asked. 

“I have been doing alright,” Headmaster Kirigiri replied. “I sometimes have stomach aches and there are days where I still feel the rotting effect of that poison...but that is of little consequence. I’ve been working to design new programs that place emphasis on the individual rather than just their talents. If we look at students as individuals who happen to have talent rather than those who are purely defined by talent, maybe we can spot if something is wrong sooner, or even bring out their best even more.” 

“That sounds nice,” Phoenix admitted. “Is that all?” 

“I’m starting small,” Headmaster Kirigiri admitted, his face growing pensive. “I have been getting Kyoko’s input, and we’ve been discussing it. We don’t agree on everything so far, but it’s coming along.” Phoenix paused, almost reaching for his magatama. The Headmaster was clearly holding back, and Byakuya’s eyes narrowed from beside Phoenix. 

“Headmaster,” Byakuya started, “Why don’t I help you set up? Mr. Wright, you can enjoy the party.” 

The two began to exchange words, and Phoenix turned away. That exchange gave him a bit of hope, but he still felt uneasy. He supposed it wouldn’t be easy to change the school, but the Headmaster still seemed hesitant. He tried to shake off the feeling. Today was a time for celebration. He then turned towards the bleachers, and saw the familiar face of Detective Gumshoe. He had his arm around Maggey, and they were chatting up Kyoko. Gumshoe was wearing his same trench coat (admittedly not blood stained this time) and outfit, though his hair was styled in a way you could see the effort put in. Maggey, for her part, had a very nice blue dress on. Phoenix walked over to the three of them, and when Detective Gumshoe saw him, he broke out into a grin. 

“Hey, you got invited too, pal!” Gumshoe slapped Phoenix on the back, and Phoenix just managed to avoid yelping in pain. 

“It’s nice to see you, sir!” Maggey gave him a salute, which Phoenix found odd, considering she’d stopped working for the police a while ago. 

“I’m sorry I never sent you an invitation,” Kyoko said. “It slipped my mind, I apologize. I’ve been busy.” 

Phoenix hadn’t even realized she hadn’t until now, though seeing Edgeworth, Franziska, and Gumshoe here, he’d reasoned that’s where any invitations written by Kyoko would go. 

“She’s been putting in the paperwork to become an official detective after her graduation, pal! She’s got the stuff to become a full-fledged detective right out of the gate!” Gumshoe radiated pride as he looked at Kyoko. 

“You know sir,” Maggey whispered to Phoenix, “He always gets like this when he talks about Kyoko. I think it’s so great how he’s taken this young detective under his wing. He’s really caring.” Maggey smiled at Gumshoe fondly, and Phoenix smiled at the sight. She really liked him, and Gumshoe deserved someone who loved him like that. 

“Thank you detective,” Kyoko blushed slightly from the praise. “Though I will become an official detective as soon as possible, I still think I could learn more-” 

“-No way, pal! You’re already the smartest person I know, let alone detective! You don’t need to hear from any of those bozos!” 

“Detective,” Kyoko sighed. “You do realize you just called yourself, and by extension, Prosecutor Edgeworth and Prosecutor von Karma bozos, right?” 

“Oh no,” Gumshoe’s face went pale. “She’ll whip me again.” 

“Don’t worry,” Kyoko let a rare laugh escape her lips. “Your secret is safe with me, and rest assured, you are not a bozo.” 

Gumshoe sheepishly thanked Kyoko, and Kyoko turned towards Phoenix. “How’ve you been?” she asked. 

“I’ve been good,” he said. “I’m thinking of taking on another case soon, though I’m not sure where to start.” 

“You should take a break,” Kyoko said. “Nothing good can come from you overworking yourself… though I should ask… did you read today’s paper? The news finally got out...” 

“Hey,” Detective Gumshoe interjected, crossing his arms. “I thought you promised me you weren’t going to bring that up. We talked about it, and you even said all it would do is freak everyone out.” 

Phoenix felt a lump in his throat, and Maggey looked equally confused. He’d seen her name on the front page. Has something happened? Did she escape? Phoenix felt his good mood evaporating as he felt his heartbeat begin to hammer in his chest. 

“Relax,” Kyoko’s voice cut through him, it was level and calm. “Junko is still in prison. Nothing can harm us here. Detective Gumshoe was right, it’s a mistake to bring it up now.” Kyoko gave Phoenix a small smile. “I guess it’s kind of hypocritical of me to talk about slowing down. I’m always thinking of work… even today. Detective Gumshoe and Ms. Byrde have been trying to get me out of my head.” 

Phoenix exhaled with relief, and his heartbeat slowed. “I guess if that’s the case, we can talk about other things…” Phoenix brightened as he thought of his topic. “So,” he said. “Anyone from the class you’re really going to miss?” 

Kyoko gave him a dark look, and Phoenix bit back a laugh. It seemed like she’d caught onto his intentions, at least. “I’ll miss Hina, surprisingly,” Kyoko said, not taking the bait. “It’s nice having her around. She’s very kind, even to me. Chihiro too.” 

“What about Makoto, pal?” Gumshoe asked, completely oblivious to Kyoko’s blatant attempt to dodge Phoenix’s true question. 

“Oh, that’s the boy we met at first, right?” Maggey said. “The one with the spike on his hair, and his whole thing was that he’s lucky… I wish I could have some of his luck. I could really use it.” 

Phoenix nearly burst out laughing as Kyoko’s cheeks dusted pink at the couple’s remarks. Both Gumshoe and Maggey remained oblivious until Gumshoe saw Kyoko’s face, and his eyes widened. He slapped a hand over his mouth and gave Kyoko an apologetic stare. It must be really obvious if even Gumshoe picked up on it, Phoenix reasoned. Though, Kyoko and Gumshoe were pretty close. For all he knew, Gumshoe could’ve figured it out before anyone else. 

“Hey, uh, let’s not tease her, pal,” Gumshoe said at last, turning towards Phoenix. “Being young is hard.” 

“You’re saying that like I’m old!” Phoenix protested. “I’m not even thirty! Anyway,” he turned to Kyoko, “I’m sorry. I really did just wonder if you still like him. I kn-think he really likes you, and I was just wondering… if you’d really made up like you said. Not that it’s a bad thing, but I think you’re the type that even Makoto won’t really know what you’re thinking. I know someone like that, and I can tell when he’s in his own head. I just wanted to hear it from you, that you guys are friends… and if you aren’t, that’s okay too.” 

“You got that look in your eye,” Kyoko said, crossing her arms. “Makoto and I called it the Edgeworth look. That someone was him. It’s a fairly obvious deduction at this point. I have been compared to Edgeworth on numerous occasions, and that look in your eye only confirms it.” 

“Woah, I totally see it, pal! You’re so right!” Gumshoe exclaimed with a grin. “The Edgeworth look is so obvious… to everyone but the guy himself,” Gumshoe sighed. 

“Hmm…” Maggey’s eyes narrowed. “I didn’t catch it. Ask him about Edgeworth again!” 

Phoenix hid his face in his hands and groaned. He had no idea he had a look, and it was apparently so obvious, that Kyoko and Makoto had made up a name for it. Though, if they’d thought of it together, at least it boded well for their friendship, Phoenix thought. 

“Makoto and I are still friends,” Kyoko said, placing a gloved hand on his shoulder, as if to try and relieve him of some of his embarrassment. “I get why you’d think I’d be lying for his benefit, but after everything that happened, why would I lie? Besides, Makoto would know anyway,” Kyoko admitted with a blush. “I suppose I have a look about me too, that he can spot. He even knew I was lying during the trial. I’ve realized that he isn’t perfect, truthfully,” Kyoko admitted. “Though… after everything, I appreciate him more than ever. I see how hard he tries, and how much he’s worked to regain my trust, everyone’s trust… I don’t know if I’ll ever trust another human being fully-” Kyoko paused. “-No, that’s wrong,” she said, shaking her head. “I’d be remiss if I haven’t made true friends throughout this experience.” She looked fondly at Gumshoe. “I do think I trust Makoto… yeah. I’ve got the evidence. He’s always been good. Too good for me, in fact.” 

“Wait, what?” Gumshoe looked offended. “Don’t sell yourself short, pal! You’re just as good as Makoto.” 

“Yeah,” Phoenix nodded. He gave Kyoko a small smile. “I know what you’re worried about… you’re worried that because of who you were in the past, colder, less willing to make friends and believe in others, that you don’t deserve to be around Makoto. That’s just not true. You’ve got a good heart, and while Makoto is fallible, on the other side of that, you’ve got so much good that may not always seem obvious at first, but once someone gets to know you, they’ll see you’ve got just as much heart as Makoto. In fact, I think you balance each other out really well.”

“Makoto would be a real idiot to not like you, pal,” Gumshoe added on, placing a hand on Kyoko’s back. “There is no time like the present, detective. I think that you two are just going to keep goin’ in circles otherwise, and that’s just bad! You both deserve to be happy!” 

“Circles?” Kyoko raised an eyebrow. 

“You both are going to convince yourselves that you’re unworthy of the other,” Detective Gumshoe said. “Something will just keep coming up either in the past or the present that will prevent you guys from really telling each other how you feel, and I think that’ll just make both of you miserable, pal. I’ve seen that kind of stuff…” Phoenix stiffened as Gumshoe’s eyes flitted briefly towards him. “...it took me forever to work up the courage to ask out Maggey! You’ve just got to take the plunge, pal! Seize the moment! I know he’ll accept your feelings, and if he doesn’t, I’ll totally take him out, no questions asked!” Detective Gumshoe cracked his knuckles, and Phoenix’s eyes widened. 

“Detective, you wouldn’t!” Phoenix cried, standing up in a panic. 

“I would for Detective Kirigiri! She’s my friend, pal!” Detective Gumshoe stood up too, as if he was ready to punch poor Makoto the second he got back to the gym. 

“Please don’t,” Kyoko said, standing up from the bleachers. She sighed. “You’re right, though, detective. If I want control over my own happiness in deciding who I trust… it’s up to me to take that leap of faith.” Kyoko smiled, and adjusted her graduation cap. “Thank you both,” she said, nodding at Phoenix and Gumshoe. “I’ve got to go find someone.” With those words, Kyoko left the gymnasium, and Phoenix beamed with pride. 

“If he breaks her heart, I will kill him, pal,” Detective Gumshoe said once Kyoko was out of earshot. 

“I won’t let you!” Maggey cried. “That Makoto kid seemed like a good guy, and I don’t want you to go to jail! Trust me, it isn’t fun… hey, you think if I hang around that Makoto kid enough, I’ll get some of his luck?”

Phoenix shook his head as Maggey sulked. No amount of luck could help Lady Luckless. Besides, if he’d learned anything from the trial, it was that Makoto’s luck was fickle. It led him to disaster, oftentimes just to save him from the ledge it let him dangle from. Truthfully, Makoto’s branch of luck seemed stressful, though he supposed having a lot of weird luck was better than having no luck like Maggey. Gumshoe and Maggey began to chat more, and Phoenix took that as his cue to leave. Gumshoe’s words still echoed in his head. Just dancing around each other, making each other miserable, taking a leap of faith… he’d looked at Phoenix briefly when saying those words. He tried to push the strange fluttering feeling in his chest aside as he deliberately avoided walking towards Edgeworth, and instead made his way to Franziska, Toko, and Komaru. 

“W-wow,” Toko’s cheeks flushed as she looked at Phoenix. “Y-you aren’t so ugly after all.” 

“Uh… thanks?” Phoenix said, not knowing whether or not to be flattered or insulted. “I read your manuscript,” he said, facing Toko, desperate for a subject change. “It was really good, Toko.” 

“O-of course it was,” she said with a small smile, but it was clear Phoenix’s comment made her happy. “It’s going to be p-published soon. I’m dedicating it t-to Prosecutor Edgeworth… and Master… and maybe Komaru…” 

“And not me?” Phoenix exclaimed. 

“A-after what you d-did to m-me?! N-no way!” 

Phoenix sighed in disappointment, but he supposed that was understandable. He’d still be buying that book regardless. Though, Toko mentioned dedicating it to Edgeworth, and Phoenix wondered if Edgeworth was even aware the book existed. It didn’t seem like his type of novel regardless, but Phoenix wasn’t about to tell Toko that. 

_ Crack.  _

“Ack!” Phoenix cried, as he felt a sharp lash at his ankles. 

“Take that you foolish fool!” Komaru grinned, holding the whip. “Franziska, was that good?” she said, turning towards Franziska. 

Phoenix couldn’t help but notice that even though Komaru was wearing a dress and Franziska wore a pantsuit, they had similar looking brooches adorning their outfits. Komaru’s pinned her red necktie together, and Franziska’s acted as a focal point for her collared suit. Phoenix bit back a smile. Franziska had definitely given that brooch to Komaru. 

“Yes, very well done, Komaru Naegi,” Franziska said, nodding with approval. A small smile crossed her lips. “I knew you’d be a natural. Our lessons have been producing tremendous results already.” 

“She has been using the word foolish and it’s variants quite a bit,” Toko muttered to Phoenix. 

“Wait, you’ve been giving her lessons?” Phoenix said, turning to Franziska with an expression of bewilderment. 

“What of it, Phoenix Wright?” Franziska glared at Phoenix. “These lessons are in teaching Komaru to use a whip, and to assert herself. Toko Fukawa has come by on occasion to observe, but I do suspect she is partially there to spy on my little brother.” Franziska shook her head at Toko. “I know that you are a foolish fool if you truly believe he is interested in you in the way you imagine him in your foolish fantasies.” 

Toko sulked, as she tugged at her braids, but she didn’t refute Franziska’s statement. Phoenix didn’t refute it either. It may have been harshly worded, but it was true. He’d seen enough of Edgeworth around Oldbag to know that he didn’t exactly respond to Toko’s brand of… admiration. Komaru, however, placed a hand on Toko’s back and gave her an encouraging smile. 

“It’s okay, Toko! I’m sure you’ll find someone who likes you. In fact, I’m positive you will!” Komaru grinned at Toko with a slight blush, and Phoenix nearly did a double take. No way. He made eye contact with Franziska, whose eyes didn’t leave Toko, as if she were waiting to see what Toko was going to say. Franziska was almost glaring at Toko, and Phoenix probably guessed that she thought Komaru could do better. Phoenix didn’t think that was necessarily fair. Toko had some… quirks, but there was a part of her that was genuinely good. Phoenix had seen it before. 

“Y-yeah, right, Komaru,” Toko muttered, crossing her arms. 

“You’ve got to think positive!” Komaru declared, whipping the ground at Toko’s feet. “I’m not really the best at that myself, but I’ve been learning, and you’ve been helping me! You and Franziska are great friends. You’re both different. But you’re both encouraging me in your own ways to be my best, and that’s what’s making me stronger. I want to help you like you’ve helped me.” Komaru whipped the ground at Toko’s feet again. “You’re a great friend, Toko! Believe in yourself, you’d be a fool to think otherwise!”

Toko grumbled something under her breath, her cheeks reddening slightly. She turned to face Komaru. “If you s-stop using that w-whip, maybe I’ll believe in myself a little bit more,” she said with an eye-roll. “I’m going to g-go see w-what everyone is doing outside… and try to talk to them a-a bit…” 

“Oh, yay!” Komaru grinned. “Way to put yourself out there, Toki!” Komaru handed the whip back to Franziska. “Thanks again, Franziska!” she grinned. “I’ll be back soon!” She waved as she took Toko’s arm and walked off with Toko muttering about how there’s a reason she doesn’t have a nickname. 

“I’m surprised they’re so close,” Phoenix said once they’d left. 

“I am surprised as well,” Franziska replied, holding her whip gingerly. “I do not think of Toko Fukawa as someone truly worthy of Komaru’s… friendship. She seems rather foolish and filthy-minded.” 

“Hey, she’s trying to change,” Phoenix objected, feeling obligated to come to Toko’s defense. “Byakuya told me she’s been working hard to get Jill under control, and her going outside means she’s working to socialize like she said… she may not be great at it, and yeah, she’s kinda weird, but she’s trying! I think Komaru is a big reason she’s trying so hard, too. She wants to be her friend, if nothing else. Besides, her books are really, really good.” 

Franziska crossed her arms and sighed. “Ultimately, I do not control Komaru Naegi. She is some girl who I’ve happened to know. She may choose her own path, however foolish it may be.” 

“I’ve never seen you lie so openly like that!” Phoenix declared, a smug grin crossing his face. “I saw Komaru’s brooch, and the way you look at her interacting with Toko is like a protective older sister! She isn’t just some girl, you’re caring for her because you’re-” 

_ Crack! _

“OW!” Phoenix cried, as the whip came down on him yet again. 

Franziska glowered and held the whip above menacingly. “Do not insinuate that I have gone soft, Phoenix Wright! You are a foolish fool who behaves foolishly if you think you can get away with insulting me!” 

“That wasn’t an insult,” Phoenix sighed, holding his side in pain. “I really think it’s a good thing. You’re teaching Komaru to be more confident, and in turn she’s helping out Toko… there’s nothing wrong with that, Franziska. In fact, I think it shows how strong you are that Komaru looks to you for guidance. You shouldn’t be ashamed of that.” 

Franziska bit back a smile. “I never said I was ashamed to be associated with Komaru Naegi. I believe a great deal in her, and I just think it is my duty to bring that side of her out. However… I do understand what you are saying. I will keep it in mind the next time I am forced to watch Komaru associate with Toko Fukawa. Phoenix Wright, I… hope you are right about her. If she ever proves me right and hurts Komaru… she will not be around to publish another one of her sappy books.” Franziska whipped the floor again and walked off, presumably growing bored with him. 

Phoenix shuddered on both Toko and Makoto’s behalf. It seemed like Kyoko and Komaru both had someone willing to go to bat for them. Those two would have to be careful, though he did find it amusing that Franziska of all people was going toe to toe with Gumshoe in terms of protectiveness. Phoenix figured now would be as good a time as any to head over to where Edgeworth was. He started to make his way over, but before he could, a familiar voice called him over. 

“Mr. Wright! It is an honor to have you here!” Kiyotaka exclaimed, giving him a salute. He was standing with his father and Hiroko. “Have you seen everyone else? I was conversing with Mrs. Hagakure and my father, and when I turned around, they were all gone!” 

“Um, the honor is mine, really,” Phoenix said, awkwardly saluting back. “As for-” 

“-The honor is ours, and there is no other way to look at it!” Kiyotaka declared emphatically. “You’re a defender of justice who has taken time out of his life to attend a high school graduation, after all! I apologize for inconveniencing you!” Kiyotaka bowed apologetically, and Phoenix was startled to see he was completely serious. Sometimes, he forgot that Kiyotaka’s train of thought was pretty different from a lot of people’s, though Edgeworth seemed to have no problem handling it. 

“Taka,” Hiroko sighed, giving the boy a small smile, “I’m sure Mr. Wright doesn’t view this as an inconvenience. He’s probably really happy to be here.” 

“I would guess that this is taking time out of his work schedule, though,” Officer Ishimaru countered, his eyebrows furrowed, giving him and Kiyotaka a very similar intense expression as they stared at Phoenix, and Phoenix felt the sudden urge to apologize for even existing. Those Ishimarus had the stares of nightmares.

“You two really are all work, no play, huh?” Hiroko smiled and took out a cigarette. “I guess I’ve got my work cut out for me. You boys need to relax once in a while. That’s what I told Hiro whenever he’d freak out about the mafia. Sometimes, you’ve just got to keep a cool head and lie low.” 

“The mafia?!” Phoenix balked. 

“Oh, that was a while ago,” Hiroko said, waving her arm dismissively as she took out her lighter. “Everybody does stuff they’re not supposed to from time to time.” 

“Not everyone!” Kiyotaka countered. He faltered, and he crossed his arms, as if he’d just remembered something important. “I suppose… there was that one time… and-oh. I suppose you’re right, Mrs. Hagakure, though the mafia is an extreme example.” 

“So, Mr. Wright,” Hiroko said, lighting her cigarette. “How-” 

“Mrs. Hagakure, smoking is very bad for you!” Kiyotaka interrupted. “I wish you’d listen to my father and I about this! Yasuhiro would want you to be healthy! We’d like for you to be healthy as well!” Kiyotaka gave Hiroko a stern look, and Hiroko laughed. 

“What’s so funny?” Officer Ishimaru asked. “We do care about your health, Hiroko.” 

“You boys are sweet, in a very blunt way,” Hiroko chuckled. “I’ve just never experienced anything like it. Taka, did you ever lecture Hiro like this?” 

“All the time,” Taka confirmed. “It never worked though… I did get Mondo to quit, though!” Kiyotaka’s face brightened as he beamed with pride. “Cigarettes, at least, but I am still very proud of him. Oh, I forgot! Where is he, anyway?” 

“He’s outside with Pearl and a bunch of the others,” Phoenix replied. “I think they’re riding the bike.” Kiyotaka’s eyes widened, and he excused himself to race outside. “Pearl has a helmet!” Phoenix called out after him, trying to ease his worry, at least a bit. 

“It really is an honor to have you here, Mr. Wright,” Officer Ishimaru said, extending a hand to Phoenix. “What I saw from you and Prosecutor Edgeworth in that courtroom was a true display of justice.” Officer Ishimaru’s expression grew pensive. “There is a lot wrong with our law system, it prosecutes people of little consequence often in favor of letting those with poisonous intentions slip through the cracks and cause devastation.” Officer Ishimaru’s eyes blazed with a familiar passion, a passion that seemed very similar to his son’s. “That bailiff yesterday was someone whose mind was fallible, and he was never fit to serve, but he’d somehow bypassed our system to be in a position of pivotal power. He could’ve killed Mr. Naegi. I think about people like Manfred von Karma, Damon Gant… my own father… and how they should’ve never been allowed into their respective positions. There is so little to trust in our system, and we have a lot of work to do to ensure that true justice can reign. I believe I can count on you to stay true to justice.” Officer Ishimaru gave Phoenix a long look. “I believe in you,” he said. “I think that if we work hard, we can usher in a new era where we can count on the people in charge again.” 

Phoenix shook his outstretched hand. “I promise, I’ll do my best to make things better,” he said. “I’ll defend the innocent and make sure justice is truly served.” Officer Ishimaru’s lips barely turned up in a hint of a smile as he nodded, and Phoenix realized that this was probably something he was very passionate about. Justice. 

“I assume that you’re talking about a future where Taka gets to be the prime minister,” Hiroko said. “I can’t say I’m opposed to it.” 

“Hopefully,” Officer Ishimaru’s smile faded, and his eyes clouded over with hesitancy. “I… sometimes I doubt he’ll be able to achieve his dreams. It isn’t because he doesn’t have a drive. He does, and I’m proud of that. It’s just… with our name and… other things… it will not be easy for him. It’ll be hard, and I don’t want politics to ruin him. I saw what being in that environment did to my father.” 

“It will be difficult,” Phoenix agreed, but he managed a small smile. “I think he’s up for it, though. I’ve seen him on the stand, and he’s committed to doing the right thing. I think that’s the quality that matters the most of all. Nevermind what his last name is or who he loves. That’s irrelevant to me.” 

“You better vote for him,” Hiroko threatened. “I’ll find you if you don’t.” 

“Please don’t threaten him,” Officer Ishimaru sighed. “I’m sure he will.” 

“Of course!” Phoenix replied hastily, and Hiroko cracked a grin. “So, uh, how are you guys doing? Hiroko,” Phoenix turned towards her, his smile fading, “A-are you okay? I mean, your jacket... ” 

“Takaaki got it for me,” Hiroko said, gently wrapping it around her. “He got in touch with Prosecutor Edgeworth and they got it back from evidence for me. It was nice, and it’s the perfect place to hold these,” Hiroko got out the tarot cards from her jacket pocket. “The deck is incomplete, as the justice card is in evidence and has blood on it. At least the three of swords is back… it’s odd to think about. I’ve been learning all about this stuff, and I never understood it that well when Hiro was alive. I just wish it hadn’t taken his death for all of this to happen.” Hiroko frowned, and took out another cigarette, only to sigh and put it away. “Wouldn’t want to be unhealthy now,” she tutted with an eye-roll, but Phoenix could see a look of fondness in her eye. 

“Have you two been keeping in touch?” Phoenix asked. “I mean, you’re calling Kiyotaka by his nickname and you’ve called Officer Ishimaru by his first name as well.” 

“Huh, you’re a real detective, Phoenix Wright,” Hiroko smirked. “Have you ever considered changing your line of work?” 

“Haha,” Phoenix deadpanned. 

“Yes, we have been keeping in touch,” Officer Ishimaru replied, all business. “Kiyotaka and I visit Hiroko quite often. Apparently, some of his classmates have been visiting as well. I like to make sure she is alright, at least. I feel it would be wrong to leave her after this trial concluded. I couldn’t imagine losing my own child, and I know I am not the best emotionally, but I wanted to help.” 

“I think you’re a bit old fashioned, but you’ve got good intentions,” Hiroko crossed her arms and looked at Officer Ishimaru. “Besides, you’re rather easy on the eyes, y’know?” 

“You don’t have to make fun of my appearance,” Officer Ishimaru sighed. “I know I look tired, or as I’ve heard, washed out.” 

“I don’t think she was joking,” Phoenix sighed. Hiroko caught his eye and shook her head with a smirk. Apparently, density ran in the Ishimaru family. 

“Takaaki is right, though,” Hiroko said, “About the other kids, well, besides Taka. Leon, Makoto, and Chihiro are always coming by to check up on me. Hina too. Those three have really been really sweet. It’s kinda like being a mom again, y’know? Sakura, Sayaka, Kyoko, and Mondo have come by too though less frequently. It makes me feel a bit better, at least.” Hiroko shook her head and smiled. “I really am proud of those guys. This graduation… it softens the blow, y’know? I want Hiro to be here more than anything, but knowing that his friends are happy and still carrying on his memory by even bothering to talk to me… it’s nice. Besides, I’ve observed some things. I think some of these kids could use a parental figure. Maybe… that’s why some of them liked Hiro. Maybe he was like an older… slightly irresponsible… brother of sorts.” 

“What do you mean?” Phoenix asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“I am curious as well,” Officer Ishimaru added. 

“Take a look around,” Hiroko motioned to the gymnasium. “Not everyone has a parent here. Chihiro’s father is over there, Hina’s family is there, Makoto’s is there, Sakura’s is there, but where is the family for Leon? Celeste? Sayaka? Mondo? Byakuya? Toko?” Hiroko frowned. “Leon’s told me… well that isn’t my place to say. What I will say is that these kids deserve someone in the crowd who’ll congratulate them and give them that support a parental figure should. I’m going to do that. I couldn’t do that for my own son, so I’ll do it for everyone else.” 

“That’s really sad,” Phoenix said, and his heart twisted as he looked out into the crowd. 

He remembered all of those invitations. He might’ve been the only guest for some of them, he realized. Maya and Pearl (even Mia) had been invited in place of family. He was going to be that person too, he thought. He’d support all of them. They’d all given him invitations, some of them even knowing their own families wouldn’t be there. Family was everything, but family could be so many different things. His family was Maya and Pearl, two girls unrelated to him, but that didn’t matter. They’d found each other anyway. It’d taken Mia’s death, and maybe that’s the point Hiroko was driving at as well. It made Phoenix sad that he was so close to them at the same time Mia was dead, and now it was a similar thing with Hiro. It’d taken death for him to truly know the ultimates. If Hiro’s life was the price… he’d do his best to make sure he didn’t die in vain. He’d be there for these kids the whole day. He’d celebrate with them. He’d encourage them to achieve their dreams. 

“I’m going to support all of them too,” Phoenix said, nodding to Hiroko. “I’m going to do my best to encourage them, and make them feel like they can do anything they set their minds to! I really do believe in all of them,” he said. Phoenix felt that same warmth of hope that’d saved him in the courtroom. He meant every word. 

Hiroko crossed her arms. “I don’t know if it’s Hiro’s intuition rubbing off on me, but I believe you. I think a lot of these guys look up to you… even if they won’t say it outright.” Hiroko gave him a light punch on the arm and she smiled. “You’re really something, Phoenix Wright.” With that statement, Hiroko excused herself and walked away. Phoenix couldn’t help but still worry about her. No matter how much she’d improved, her hurt would still be there. With each ultimate she talked to, Hiro’s spirit would linger. 

“She’s right,” Officer Ishimaru said. “You really are one of a kind. Don’t lose that, for the sake of justice itself.” Officer Ishimaru left, and Phoenix could see him making his way over to talk to Franziska. 

Phoenix felt as if he were on autopilot as he made his way over to the horderves table. Edgeworth was there, accompanied by Hifumi, Sakura, and Hina, and Phoenix felt his breath hitch as he stared at the other man. He was wearing a tuxedo similar to Phoenix’s but he had that familiar ruffled collar. Phoenix bit back a smile. Some things just didn’t change. As he neared, he was surprised by the amount of expression on Edgeworth’s face. He and Hifumi appeared to be going back and forth rather passionately, and Hina seemed to be stifling giggles as she stood watching them. 

Sakura was the first to notice Phoenix had made his way over to them. “It’s nice to see you, Mr. Wright,” she said, bowing politely in her cap and gown, which made her look even more statuesque than she already was. “How are you?” 

Phoenix bowed back. “I’m alright,” he replied. “What exactly are those two talking about?” He gestured towards Edgeworth and Hifumi, neither had noticed his presence. 

“It’s the _ Steel Samurai _ debate of the century!” Hina exclaimed in between mouthfuls of food. “I did remember Prosecutor Edgeworth liking  _ Steel Samurai  _ from our tour years ago, but he’s getting so worked up! It’s hilarious!” 

“Wait, seriously?!” Phoenix strained to listen closer. 

“It’s obvious that _ Pink Princess _ is the superior successor to  _ Steel Samurai _ ! As it’s successor it not only offered an extended look into the cinematic universe of Neo Olde Tokyo, but it also managed to produce a superior villain to the Evil Magistrate in the Blackened Warrior! Not to mention that the Princess is quite… hehehe…” Hifumi nearly drooled, and Edgeworth scoffed in disgust. 

“You are aware that Will Powers is far from, what you say to be, exceptionally pleasing for a 3D figure, right? Have you seen that man?” Edgeworth continued, even bringing his hand down onto the table emphatically. “The original  _ Steel Samurai  _ lacks the gratuitous and childish fanservice of  _ Pink Princess  _ and its simple storyline is far superior to the convoluted mess that the its successor tries to peddle! The  _ Pink Princess  _ tries to expand on Neo Olde Tokyo, but in that, it loses the classic elements of Samurai culture that made the original show so appealing to its audience! It paints a glossy picture of what was once delightfully simplistic and beautiful!”

Phoenix sighed, turning to Sakura and Hina. “They realize they’re furiously debating two kids shows, right?” 

Sakura shook her head. “You wouldn’t realize that from the passion they’re exuding.” 

“It’d be admirable if it wasn’t so ridiculous,” Hina filled her plate with a bunch of donuts. “Hey, don’t give me that look, spiky!” She glared at Phoenix. “These are Teruteru’s homemade donuts! They’re incredible!” 

Before Phoenix could say a word, Hina handed Phoenix a donut off her plate with a completely serious expression. Phoenix had no idea who this Teruteru even was, but based on the fire in Hina’s eyes, he figured he must be a good chef, at least. Phoenix bit into the donut, and his eyes widened as he bit into glazed heaven. 

“Oh. My. God.” Phoenix murmured, a grin spreading across his face. “Can I have another one?” 

“No way, spiky! You’re going to have to wait!” Hina grinned as she ate another donut, and Phoenix felt his heart shatter. 

“Hina, my girl,” Sakura said gently, “Weren’t you going to save a donut for Maya? You wanted her to experience what you called um… well… I forgot exactly what it was.” 

“Oh, yeah!” Hina handed Sakura her plate. “Make sure I don’t eat another one until we find Maya, okay? I trust you alone with this endeavor.” Hina gave Sakura a kiss on the cheek, and subtly reached for a donut, only for Sakura to stifle a smile and hold the plate out of her reach. 

“Where are Maya and Pearl, anyway?” Sakura asked. “I would’ve assumed they’d be with you.” 

“Pearl is outside, and Celeste dragged Maya away because she was a, uh, fashion criminal. She was still in her workout clothes from her training session with Akane-oh, yeah.” Phoenix remembered his promise to the previous graduates. “Hina, Akane says hi, and Sakura, Nekomaru sends his best as well.” 

“Maya’s actually still going to those training sessions?!” Hina’s grin grew even wider, and a mischievous glint sparkled in her eyes. Phoenix was suddenly very worried for Maya. Hina giggled and elbowed Sakura. “Hey, let’s save some donuts for Akane, I know how much she loves Teruteru’s cooking. Besides, it’ll give me an excuse to ask her about her new training buddy!” 

“Hina, please go easy on her… though I wouldn’t be adverse to seeing Coach Nekomaru. It has been awhile since our last fight.” Sakura turned towards Phoenix with a pensive expression. “I have been offering Ikusaba training methods I’d developed with Coach Nekomaru in order to keep her faculties about her while in prison. The mention of him makes me wonder if she is implementing them properly. I do wonder… if she has a place here still. There is a chair onstage for her, but she insisted on not showing up.” Sakura frowned. “I am not sure I like that.” 

“It’s for the best, really,” Hina said, shaking her head. “It’s still kinda fresh… and I’ve been coming around, but not everyone has. I think it’s pretty smart of her to know when to step back. I’m sorry, Sakura, but I don’t think she should be here. It would make a lot of people upset. I mean, poor Mrs. Hagakure probably wouldn’t be able to be in the same room as her.” 

Sakura crossed her arms. “I suppose you have a point, Hina. What do you think, Mr. Wright?” Both girls turned to Phoenix, and he paused. 

Phoenix pursed his lips and crossed his arms. He didn’t want to imply there was no hope for Mukuro, but there was a part of him that agreed with Hina. Mukuro being here, not even a full month after the incident… it probably wouldn’t sit well with a lot of people. Phoenix wasn’t even sure if he’d like it. He’d talked to Iris about Mukuro, but he’d yet to visit the girl in question. 

Phoenix sighed. “It’s complicated… but I agree with Hina. I think too many people would be hurt and angry by her being here. I think her stepping back was the most selfless thing she could do right now. Besides, she’s working towards redemption, and that should be her focus before even thinking of being brought back into the group.” 

Sakura nodded. “Thank you for your input. I’m sorry I made you both upset.” 

“You didn’t say anything wrong,” Phoenix countered. “In fact, I think it’s nice that you’re thinking of Mukuro. It shows you have a good heart.” 

“You’re so right!” Hina beamed. “Sakura’s got a heart of gold! She’s amazing!” 

“Hina…” Sakura’s face flushed, and it made her appear more feminine than ever. 

Her scars and burly muscles seemed irrelevant to her appearance as she looked at Hina with a soft expression and eyes filled with love. Hina gazed back at Sakura as if she were the whole world. At least there’s one couple at Hope’s Peak who’d probably loved each other from the start, Phoenix thought, as he looked at the two with a smile. Just as Phoenix thought of using this moment to ask for another donut, Hina turned to Edgeworth, who was still debating Hifumi. 

“Hey, hey! Mr. Prosecutor!” Hina waved her hands emphatically, and Edgeworth stopped to look at her. “Mr. Wright is here to see you! He even told us about how cool it was to see you so worked up over your favorite show!” Hina! Phoenix saw a small smirk as she gave him a wink, and he felt a headache coming on. 

Edgeworth’s eyes widened as he saw Phoenix. “Wright,” he managed to say at last. “You… look different.” Edgeworth brushed a stray hair from his face. 

“It’s the Wright look!” He heard Hina whisper to Sakura. “Kyoko was right!” 

“Mr. Wright, you’ve changed from your usual blue suit!” Hifumi frowned. “I’d think that you’d want to keep the clothes that distinguish you as a proper protagonist!” 

“It’s a special occasion,” Phoenix sighed, missing his blue suit a little bit. “Besides,” he pointed to his badge. “I kept the most important part of the outfit.” 

“Hmm…” Hifumi adjusted his glasses. “I hadn’t noticed. Anyway, you watch  _ Pink Princess,  _ right?” 

“Wright, don’t bother to engage in this trivial matter with us. I was only entertaining Mr. Yamada out of politeness-” 

“-Oh, come on!” Hina rolled her eyes. “You knew more  _ Steel Samurai  _ trivia than any of us!” 

“Your knowledge was quite incredible,” Hifumi said in a comically serious voice. “Only a superfan would know that much…” Hifumi’s glasses gave off a mischievous glint. “I wonder, have you written any fanfiction? I’d love to give it a read. I bet your characterization is exceptional.” 

“I wouldn’t do something that childish,” Edgeworth managed to say, but he looked very flustered. 

“I think Yamada is just trying to compliment you in his own way,” Sakura said. “It has been a while since anyone has really gone toe to toe with him with this kind of knowledge. This debate is proof of that.” 

“It’s pretty cool to see you get worked up about this, Edgeworth,” Phoenix admitted sheepishly. “Everyone has interests, and if Maya were here, she’d be pretty into this too.” 

“Miss Ogami is right,” Hifumi agreed as he adjusted his glasses. “Debating with a true fan… it’s exhilarating! I can only debate Miss Shirogane so many times before I get bored… and she always wins anyway.” 

“Shirogane?” Edgeworth questioned. “Is she an underclassman like Miss Akamatsu? I must say, by the way, her melodies are unparalleled. It’s been a delight to listen to her.” Phoenix paused, he hadn’t even remembered that the piano was playing. Still, taking a moment to listen, he couldn’t deny the melody was just as sweet as ever. 

“Yes,” Hifumi reached into his backpack and produced his Princess Piggles Camera. Phoenix had found it odd he was wearing his backpack over his graduation gown, but he hadn’t commented on it. Hifumi filtered through some pictures until he landed on a picture of the Steel Samurai. “That’s Miss Shirogane in cosplay. She is quite a fan of the show as well, and her fanfictions are incredible… second only to mine, of course!” Phoenix couldn’t help but gape. That cosplay was spot on, and it was identical both in costume and in posture to the Steel Samurai. 

“That’s extraordinary,” Edgeworth managed, looking openly impressed. “I’d be very intrigued to hear what she thinks of the show someday.” 

“Not that this isn’t absolutely riveting,” Hina sighed, clearly disappointed that the great debate had winded down. “But Sakura and I are going to find Maya.” Sakura waved goodbye as the two girls took their leave. 

“I will… um… leave you two alone,” Hifumi managed, his voice becoming squeaky and awkward again. “I’ll remember where we left off, Prosecutor! And… I expect you to make good on your promise. Hehehe.” Hifumi’s glasses shone as he walked off with a smug grin. 

“Edgeworth,” Phoenix sighed. “What exactly did you promise him?” 

Edgeworth grimaced. “I may have promised in the heat of the moment… that I’d let him meet Will Powers in person, so he’d settle the debate for us. I was sure Powers would take my side anyway… but-” 

“-Let me guess, you realized that Will Powers is too nice to take sides anyway,” Phoenix cut in with a smirk. “You’re really something else with that show, Edgeworth. I suppose it is coming back on the air now that she got  _ Warriors of Hope vs Despair  _ permanently canceled.” 

Edgeworth shook his head. “That was a good show, too. It’s a shame her actions had to ruin it for everyone… speaking of her… you haven’t read the paper, have you? We tried to keep it under wraps but it just got out. Did Detective Kirigiri tell you?” Edgeworth’s face grew serious. “I specifically told her not to spend today worrying, and in fact, I forbid her from doing any paperwork.” 

Phoenix laughed at seeing Edgeworth’s stony expression. “You actually gave a direct order?” 

“Yes,” Edgeworth replied, giving Phoenix a funny look. “I will not have Kyoko turning into me. A constant workaholic with a reputation for being as Mr. Owada’s probably called me behind my back, a hardass. I got the impression he isn’t my biggest fan. I want Kyoko to be her age for once.”

“That’s really nice, actually,” Phoenix said. “As for Mondo… he probably has said that before… but I’m sure he likes you just fine.” Phoenix bit back a smile. “You think people dislike you a lot more than they actually do, Edgeworth. Speaking of, who invited you here? Kyoko, right?” 

Edgeworth nodded. “She was not the only one, however. She was just the first. It surprised me... “ Edgeworth’s expression grew lighter, and Phoenix could swear he was close to smiling. “Mr. Ishimaru came by and dropped off an invitation, and we ended up playing several rounds of chess together, and he later brought Mr. Fujisaki as well, and he offered to instal the latest software in my office, to have my own Alter Ego of sorts to help me file evidence. I may take him up on it.” Edgeworth looked at a bewildered Phoenix and nodded. “Yes, Mr. Fujisaki told me, and I know he told you first. I am merely honored he’d entrust me with that secret at all. I was under the impression I scared him.” 

“Why’d he even tell you?” Phoenix wondered aloud. 

“He said he trusted me. I was quite touched, and I assured him that I wouldn’t view him any differently if he were a boy or a girl. As for the other students, Mr. Yamada mailed me one with a drawing of the Steel Samurai attached, I presume without his, erm, Mistress’s knowledge, Mr. Togami came by to pick my brain and drop off his and we also played chess, Miss Fukawa threw hers at me and ran away, and Ms. Ogami also dropped one off, and she even gave me a lovely piece of calligraphy. It’s in my office now, along with Mr. Yamada’s drawing.” Edgeworth’s gaze softened considerably as he thought back to his invitations, and he looked dangerously close to a smile. Phoenix felt his heart skip a beat. “I wasn’t the only one, you know.” 

“Huh?” 

“Detective Gumshoe only ever talked about Kyoko’s invitation… but he got some from Mr. Owada, Miss Asahina, and Mr. Kuwata, I presume because they must think he’s some sort of, ahem, badass.” Edgeworth sighed, as if he couldn’t believe the word that’d just left his mouth. Phoenix stifled a laugh. “As for Franziska, she got one from Mr. Naegi and Kyoko. However, Mr. Naegi’s invitation had been drawn all over by his sister, another drawing of Franziska slaying demons. Her office has been steadily taken over by Ms. Naegi’s drawings, though anyone who points that out gets promptly whipped.” 

“Yeah, I learned my lesson earlier today,” Phoenix quipped, wincing slightly. “Maybe she’ll admit she’s a softie someday.” 

“Don’t say that, you never know when she’s in earshot,” Edgeworth said, his face deadly serious. Phoenix froze. Edgeworth looked at him with a twinkle of humor in his eyes. “Wright, you really do scare too easily. After everything we’ve been through, you’d think a whip is the least of your worries.” Edgeworth laughed, and Phoenix froze in shock. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Edgeworth laugh. He looked completely carefree, for once in his life, and it made Phoenix happier than he could describe. Finally, seeing Edgeworth so happy-

_ Click.  _

Phoenix spun around and Edgeworth’s laugh subsided, and they both looked at the offending redhead. Mahiru looked from one man to the other, and her face turned red, and she mumbled something as she lowered her camera. She looked at the camera, and her eyes widened and she grinned. She raced off, making a beeline towards the girl playing piano, the melodies filling the awkward silence that’d enveloped the two men.

“What… uh…” Phoenix stuttered. 

“Mahiru Koizumi…” Edgeworth shook his head, sighing. “That girl has been lurking around and snapping pictures for god knows why. She’s very annoying.” 

“When I met her, she seemed really nice,” Phoenix countered. “She told Pearl she had a nice smile! I’m sure she’s-” Phoenix looked over to Mahiru, and she was showing the blond girl the camera. The blond girl rolled her eyes and produced some bills and shoved them into Mahiru’s hand. Phoenix was hit with a sudden realization, and turned towards Edgeworth with a smirk. 

“Wright, why are you looking at me like that?” Edgeworth demanded. “What’s going on?” 

“Here’s my answer!” Phoenix grinned. “Mahiru and the piano girl had a bet on you! I bet the piano girl told Mahiru she wouldn’t be able to get a picture of you smiling!” Phoenix gestured to the two again, and Mahiru gave a bashful wave in their direction, and Phoenix turned towards Edgeworth. 

“Do I really put out that kind of impression?” Edgeworth sighed. “I must really look disagreeable if that was her first impression of me.” 

“No, that’s wrong!” Phoenix exclaimed. “Piano girl was just wrong! I think that Mahiru, she told me her goal is to capture people in happy moments, thought that you could easily be happy, which is why she took the bet! She’s been waiting around you, because you just take a while to warm up, that’s all!” 

“So you’re actually trying to spin this so that Miss Koizumi had faith in me, and that’s why she’s been lying in wait… I’ll admit, it is an appealing theory.” Edgeworth looked dangerously close to smiling again. “You do have a nice way of looking at things, Wright.” Edgeworth’s lips twitched again, and Phoenix grinned. 

“You’ve got a really nice smile, for what it’s worth,” Phoenix said without thinking. He felt himself turning bright red. 

Edgeworth froze, and a small blush spread across his face. He gave Phoenix a small smile. “Thank you, Wright. You have a… nice smile as well.” 

_ Click.  _

Mahiru! Phoenix didn’t know how she’d snuck up on them. He turned around and saw her convicnently ducking behind the bleachers, and he saw the giggling of piano girl. He hadn’t even realized she’d stopped playing. Mahiru pretended not to notice him, instead ducking outside. Piano girl began to play again, and the dulcet tones wafted through the air. 

“So,” Phoenix muttered, trying to get rid of the awkwardness, the silence of things left unsaid. Phoenix really didn’t know if he wanted them left unsaid forever. “Um, Kyoko and Makoto may finally confess their feelings,” he said. 

“Good,” Edgeworth sighed. “It was fairly obvious, yes? I hope they’ll be happy. They deserve it. Though if Mr. Naegi hurts Detective Kirigiri, I’ll make sure no law firm ever hires him.” 

“At least you didn’t threaten to kill him,” Phoenix sighed. 

“Gumshoe?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Wright…” Edgeworth looked at him, and Phoenix felt his heart hammering in his chest. “I… should go help Mr. Togami and the Headmaster. I have some questions for him anyway. You should go get Pearl. The ceremony is supposed to start soon.” Edgeworth walked away, and 

Phoenix couldn’t help but feel a stab of disappointment. There were some things that would be left unsaid yet again, at least for today. Phoenix sighed. Today of all days wasn’t the day to be upset about that. 

******************************************************************************

May 30th, 11:50 AM

Hope’s Peak Academy, Main Gate

Phoenix passed through the main gate yet again, to join the mass of caps and gowns that constituted the rest of the class. Leon, Kiyotaka, and Sayaka were chatting outside the gate. 

“Yo, Mr. Wright!” Leon grinned at him. “You’re just in time to see this!” 

Leon gestured to where Mahiru was adjusting her camera, while Chihiro fiddled with his computer. He glanced at the program, and he grinned. 

Alter Ego’s face popped up on the screen.“According to my calculations based on Mr. Owada’s average speed, and regarding the weight of Pearl Fey as a passenger, they should be coming around the bend… now!” 

“Go, Mahiru!” Sayaka cheered. 

A determined expression crossed Mahiru’s features as she readied her camera. Just as Phoenix was about to ask what the heck was going on, Mondo came tearing down the bend, still wearing his gown as he rode. Pearl was sitting in front of him with a grin on her face, and her Usami helmet on her head. Mahiru rapidly snapped a bunch of photos as they blew past, and tore off down the block again, Pearl’s cheers echoing as they vanished from sight. 

“I think I really got it this time,” Mahiru said, and she pressed a button on her camera, and pictures of Pearl and Mondo on the bike came up. They were surprisingly good, Phoenix realized. They’d normally be blurry and at an odd angle considering they’d just flown past on a bike, but these pictures were perfectly clear, and he had to admit Pearl’s joyful smile really came through. 

“Well, my job is done,” Mahiru sighed, dusting off her skirt, and heading inside with the camera. 

“You know,” Sayaka said, giving Phoenix a smile, “Mahiru showed us those pictures of you and Prosecutor Edgeworth. I didn’t know the guy could really smile. I guess Kaede was right after all.” 

“So there really was a bet on him?!” Phoenix exclaimed. He also figured out that piano girl’s name was Kaede, but that was the least of his worries.

“A bet?” Kiyotaka echoed. “That seems highly unethical.” 

“It’s nothing bad, Taka,” Chihiro explained. “Kaede and Mahiru had a bet on whether or not she could get a picture of Prosecutor Edgeworth smiling, because he seemed, and I quote Kaede, like a grump. Based on what she knew about both of you… she decided that Mahiru’s best chance would be when you were around him, because Mahiru bet he’d smile, but she didn’t know how.” 

Phoenix sighed, putting a hand to his head. “How do you know all of this, Chihiro?” 

“I heard them talking about it, and Mahiru told us! She’s really happy she won. She said that Edgeworth has a nice smile, and it’s really special that it comes out around you…” Chihiro paused, his cheeks blushing. “I feel kinda bad talking behind the Prosecutor’s back like this… he’s really nice, even if he doesn’t smile.” 

“He is!” Kiyotaka added. “Our conversations have been quite intellectually stimulating, and he gives sound advice! I’ve tried giving him advice-” Kiyotaka stopped and looked at Phoenix, and Phoenix arched a brow in confusion. A light blush covered Kiyotaka’s face. “Nevermind,” he said quickly. 

Leon groaned and rolled his eyes. He turned to Phoenix and Phoenix could’ve sworn Leon gave him a sympathetic look, if only briefly. “Hey, you want to talk about something else? You sell that baseball I gave you?”

“No, I kept it,” Phoenix said. “It’s nice to have around.” 

“Why? It’s just a dumb ball with my name on it.” 

“It’s got sentiment,” Phoenix gave Leon a small smile. “It’s a nice memento, y’know? Reminds me of when I investigated with one of Japan’s best baseball players.” 

Leon took off his cap and ran a hand through his hair. “Man… you’re kind of a sap… but I’m glad you like it…” Leon smiled at him. “You know… I have more baseballs. I could give you one you could actually sell. My cousin is always swiping them anyway… she’s got a bit of a problem.” Leon sighed. “Man, I’m glad she had baseball practice today,” he sighed quietly. 

Phoenix raised an eyebrow, but chose not to comment on Leon’s apparently exhausting cousin. “Hey, I’m not broke!” Phoenix exclaimed, thinking back to the baseball offer. “I don’t need to sell anything!” 

“Oh! This has nothing to do with you actually being broke,” Chihiro interjected, “But you should let me upgrade your office! It’d be fun! I’ve talked with Maya about it, and I could create an Alter Ego to be with you in court! It’d help you always have support! I’ve been working on something… it’s a prototype, though…” 

“Wait, what?” Sayaka pressed a finger to her lips as she glanced at Chihiro. “Since when?” 

“Maya wanted it to be a surprise… but Celeste knows too. She overheard it while she dropped off a hemmed skirt to my room… and she demanded to play cards with it.” Phoenix raised an eyebrow and looked at Leon, who shrugged. Kiyotaka looked equally confused, but a look of realization crossed Sakaya’s face. 

Chihiro typed into the computer, and Alter Ego’s icon blinked to life. “You want me to get Master’s new friend! She’s very wise! I like having another program to talk to!” Alter Ego’s face moved to the side, and another face appeared next to it. 

Phoenix’s jaw went slack. “MIA?!” Chihiro held up the computer with a smile, motioning for him to type in it. Phoenix shakily typed in a greeting. 

“It’s nice to finally see you, Phoenix,” Alter Mia said, giving him a smile. Alter Mia looked identical to the real thing. Her kind gaze was there, even in her small icon. 

Phoenix typed in a question.  _ “What do you know about yourself?”  _

“I am an AI of Mia Fey. I’d like to think I’m an extension of her,” Alter Mia said. “I descend from a long line of Spirit Mediums, and my mother is no longer around. However, my sister and cousin are alive and well. This makes me happy, because I love them very much. I love hearing about them! Phoenix Wright is my friend and colleague, and Diego Armando is my boyfriend. These four… they must be the people I cared about that I left behind. I have yet to see Diego. I’d like to know he’s well.” Alter Mia’s expression grew sad, and Phoenix could see the original Alter Ego giving her a sympathetic look. 

Chihiro’s face fell as he looked at Phoenix’s deflated expression. “She’s still under construction,” he explained sadly. “I was going to program the happy information first, the sad later… but that’s dumb of me. I’ve already told her about her mom and her aunt… but adding Mr. Armando felt too upsetting to pile on. I just didn’t want to make her sad… but she’d be upset either way.” Chihiro looked at Phoenix, and he fiddled with the laptop. “I read her files to program her with as much accuracy as possible, and it made me think about what Junko said. Her life… how is she so positive? I didn’t want to tell her some of those things, because I thought I’d be creating the world’s saddest AI. I didn’t want her to be sad. I-I’m sorry if you don’t like it. I thought-” 

“-Chihiro,” Phoenix murmured gently, and he placed a hand on the programmer’s back. “I really appreciate it, and I really like it. I think it’s amazing, and it’d help, because now both Maya and Pearl could talk to Mia without one of them having to be a medium. I could see why Maya wanted this too. However, you remember what I said in court, about Mia? I said that she’s a symbol of hope. A lot of tragic things happened to her, but she overcame those, even in death. You’d have to get to the parts of her life with despair in them, because each of those incidents just showed how much hope she truly had. She never let any of those incidents break her. Everything, even the sad incidents, made her into someone who was truly hopeful. She’s still that person you met, even with the sad incidents. That’s who this program should be too,” Phoenix gingerly typed into the laptop again.

_ “This is Phoenix. You wanted to know about Diego, Mia?”  _

“Yes, I do, Phoenix. Thank you!” 

Phoenix typed in Diego’s story, and he began to explain Godot. Alter Mia’s expression fell, and Alter Ego looked at her dejectedly. 

“Mr. Wright, this is a very sad story!” Alter Ego exclaimed. “Poor Miss Mia!” 

“Don’t be sad, Alter Ego,” Alter Mia’s avatar changed, and she was now smiling again. Her smile seemed sadder, but there was also a hint of relief in her eyes. “Thank you for telling me, Phoenix. I will look more into this myself, as I am sure I can find the archives online, and I cannot rely on Chihiro for everything in terms of knowledge… but I am happy to hear that Diego found peace, at least.” Alter Mia turned to Alter Ego. “Do you remember what I told you about Diego? I think it still holds up with this new knowledge.”

“What did she say?” Sayaka wondered aloud, and Phoenix typed it in. 

“A true lawyer smiles no matter how bad it gets,” Alter Ego recited. “Miss Mia likes to say that to me, from Mr. Armando. It appears with our shared knowledge… Mr. Armando ended up staying true to his final words at the end of his life. That makes Miss Mia happy, which makes me happy.” Alter Ego smiled at Phoenix. 

Chihiro smiled as well, and gingerly took the computer back from Phoenix. “I understand what you’re saying, now,” he said. “I even think that Alter Ego is already learning from Mia. I think he likes having a friend in the AI… oh! They’re playing cards!” Chihiro grinned and pointed at the computer screen, where the icons of Alter Ego and Mia looked deep in thought as random cards popped up across the screen. Chihiro gently closed the laptop with a smile. 

“I’m going to guess Celeste made you install that function,” Phoenix laughed. 

“Yeah, hehehe.” Chihiro giggled. 

“It’s nearly time for us to head inside!” Kiyotaka exclaimed. “We cannot be late!” 

The familiar rev of the bike engine sounded again as Mondo and Pearl came tearing down the block. Kiyotaka stepped out in front of the bike, placing his hand out and giving a piercing whistle. Mondo pressed on the breaks, and the bike came to a grinding halt right in front of Kiyotaka. 

“Jeez, babe if ya wanted a turn so bad, all ya had to do was ask,” Mondo snarked. “Ya can wear Pearl’s helmet.” 

“Joke all you want,” Kiyotaka chided, “But the ceremony starts soon. I do not want anyone to be late. I do want a turn later, though. I believe it would be fun.” 

“Hell yeah, Taka.” 

“Language. I still have detention jurisdiction until the end of the ceremony.” 

“Mondo’s in the doghouse already,” Leon snickered. 

“F-back off, Leon.” Mondo glowered, shaking his head. He glared as Leon snickered, and opted to turn to Pearl instead. “Ya have fun?” he asked. 

“Yeah!” Pearl grinned, taking off her helmet and grinning as Mondo helped her off the bike. Her dress seemed fine, but her hair was a mess under her helmet. 

“My hair,” Pearl whined. “It’s totally ruined!” 

“I did warn you,” Phoenix sighed. 

“Hey, I’ve got some hairspray, I can make it look cool,” Mondo offered. 

“Your hair is weird, even if you are cool,” Pearl countered, and Phoenix bit back a laugh as Mondo’s eyes widened. Sayaka and Chihiro looked seconds away from losing it, and Leon flat out began to cackle. 

“I like your hair!” Taka exclaimed. “I think it brings out your pride in your background and your gang, and even though it is quite… voluminous… it suits you! I’ve grown used to it, myself,” Kiyotaka admitted with a slight blush. 

“You’re a biased source,” Leon countered. 

“Oh, shut up, Leon.” Mondo slung an arm around Taka. “I thought that was sweet, babe.” 

“It is impressive how your hairdo is still intact,” Phoenix marveled. 

“It takes a lot of hairspray,” Mondo admitted. “It’s a lot of work.” 

Pearl gave Mondo her best puppy-dog eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to make you upset. I-I just think your hair looks like corn, but I guess that isn’t bad! You’re still funny and nice, and you take me for bike rides and teach me new words!” 

Mondo sighed, and ruffled Pearl’s already ruined hair. “I couldn’t stay mad at ya, kid,” he sighed. “I said a lota shit as a kid anyway, way worse than that. My brother had to apologize for me a lot.” 

“Shit…” Pearl muttered tentatively, and Phoenix’s eyes widened. Out of all the ultimates, Sayaka definitely had the most influence on her, but Mondo being second (possibly third, as she liked Chihiro quite a bit as well) in that contest was a result he didn’t see coming, and it had some unforeseen consequences. 

Kiyotaka gave Mondo a fiery glare. “Mondo! You’re negatively influencing her! Mr. Wright, I am so sorry!” 

“Hey, I told her to only say that sh-stuff when she’s really pissed off! I didn’t condone that!” 

“You should’ve at least tried to control your language a bit,” Sayaka sighed. “Hey Pearly, I can fix your hair if you never say that word again.” 

“Okay!” Pearl grinned, acting as if nothing was amiss. Phoenix felt a headache coming on, as if Larry had somehow shown up. 

Chihiro continued to type on his computer as he walked into the school, presumably already getting back to Alter Mia. Mondo parked his bike and shot Phoenix an apologetic glance as Kiyotaka grabbed his hand and walked away, and Phoenix presumed he was in for another lecture. Leon put his cap back on and sighed, looking towards the gates. 

“What’s wrong?” Phoenix asked. 

“I was just thinking… Hiro would’ve found that whole thing really funny. It sucks that he isn’t here. I know he’s here in spirit and all… and Hiroko is here, but it just fucking sucks y’know? It isn’t fair.” 

“You’re right,” Phoenix nodded. “It isn’t fair, but it happened anyway. Now you’ve just got to do your best to live your life to the fullest for him. That’s what I do for Mia.” 

“Yeah,” Leon nodded. “You’re right. Hiroko even said she’d get me a burger after graduation… and I was planning on asking Sayaka and Mondo to come too. I think it’d be fun… and it’s not like we have anywhere else to go right afterwards.” 

Phoenix frowned, thinking back to what Hiroko said earlier, about how some kids didn’t have family showing up for them. “Yeah,” he said. “I think it would be fun. Are you… okay?” 

“Mostly.” Leon motioned for Phoenix to start walking with him. “However, I know I’m going to get through it. I’ve got my friends, after all. I really don’t think that’s going to change. I really should’ve taken every minute to hang with Hiro more… and I’m not going to make that mistake again.” Leon grinned at Phoenix as the two walked towards the gym. 

“That’s great, Leon,” Phoenix said, smiling back. “Speaking of friends, Nekomaru wanted to congratulate you. We ran into him-” 

“-Because of Maya,” Leon said, snickering slightly. Wow, Maya was not subtle.”You know,” Leon crossed his arms. “Maybe it would do me some good to start training. Baseball season is only a few months away, after all. I better see you at a game, Mr. Wright.” 

“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely be there. I wouldn’t miss it.” 

******************************************************************************

May 30th, 12:20 PM

Gymnasium

Once Phoenix got back to the gym with Leon, he’d split off to join the other ultimates, who’d gathered on stage. The piano music was still in the air, much to Phoenix’s delight. Makoto, Kyoko, Celeste, Hina, Sakura, and Sayaka were still missing. Phoenix spent some time mingling with the various family members of the ultimates. He met Chihiro’s father, a kindly programmer who reminded Phoenix a lot of Chihiro himself. He met Hina’s parents and her little brother, who was just as upbeat as she was, and had quickly moved on after introducing himself to go talk to Komaru. He’d talked briefly to Hifumi’s sister, though that conversation only consisted of talking about  _ Pink Princess.  _ Phoenix mentioned Edgeworth being a fan, and the girl had gleefully skipped off to him, and Phoenix almost felt sorry for Edgeworth. He talked to the Naegis again, who were just as happy to continue to thank him for his help with Makoto, despite Phoenix’s insistence that it really wasn’t necessary. He found the Naegis to be refreshingly average people, nothing too controversial. It was almost relaxing to talk to them. Just as Phoenix was going to try and find his seat, he heard footsteps hammering towards the gymnasium door. The rest of the ultimates except for Sayaka came barreling through, Maya at the center. 

“Hey, Nick, look at me!” Maya’s voice rang out as she ran over to him, and as Phoenix glanced at her, he did a double take. She was wearing an indigo dress with black lace. She still wore her beads, but her hair had been styled. Her hair was done back in a single braid with gemstones littered throughout her hair. She was even wearing a pair of black heels. “Don’t I look great?!” She spun around. 

“You better tell her she’s cute!” Hina threatened. “When Sakura and I saw her, we both told her! She looks like a goddess! Even Makoto and Kyoko told her she looked cute!” 

“I don’t think I used the word cute,” Kyoko sighed. “I just said she looked nice.” 

“She does look nice,” Sakura said. “I do think the dress goes nicely with her traditional necklace.” She looked towards the stage. “I believe it is our cue to leave. Everyone is getting ready.” Sakura walked off, and Hina gave Maya one last hug before following her. 

“You look amazing!” Phoenix exclaimed to Maya, opting not to use the word cute. 

“You’re welcome, Phoenix Wright,” Celeste tutted, shaking her head. “I wasn’t sure if the dress would fit her. I had to adjust it to fit her measurements. I will be expecting payment shortly.” 

“Payment?!” Phoenix sputtered. “I hardly brought enough for the bus ride home!” 

Celeste sighed. “I suppose I shall take an IOU. Either way, I am glad I saved this graduation from being a complete disaster. You would’ve been lost without me, Maya Fey.” Celeste shook her head at Maya. “You had some nerve showing up the way you did.” Celeste gave Phoenix a cursory glance, and Phoenix noticed her robes were black, while everyone else’s were blue. Of course. “Phoenix Wright,” she muttered. “You would do good to style your hair. It is atrocious. Also, I trust that Pearl liked the dress?” 

“She loved it,” Phoenix replied. “Thank you. Though… you didn’t really do it for me, right?” 

“Yes, you have found me out. I find you rather boring. Maybe if you were good at poker I wouldn’t,” Celeste admitted. “Are you perchance a secret gambler, Mr. Wright?” 

“Uh… I’d like to think I wouldn’t be bad at poker,” Phoenix offered with a shrug. “I can read people pretty well. For instance, you’ve been polite to me this whole time purely for the sake of Mia, and she isn’t even alive. You don’t really like any of us, huh?” 

Celeste sighed, crossing her arms. “Mon dieu, Phoenix Wright. I appear to have underestimated you yet. I suppose you would be a more appealing character to talk to if you were dead. I digress, I do not dislike you, I just do not care for you. There is a difference. I do however, have a respect for both Maya and Pearl. I may not see much of… intelligence… in them-” 

“-Hey!” Maya protested.

Celeste waved a hand dismissively. “-However their connection to the divine is something extraordinary. You, however, are rather mundane. I suppose if you ever beat me in cards, then maybe we’ll talk. Or, you may become my servant as any other male should. I suppose you would make a fine butler.” 

“No way!” Phoenix protested as Maya giggled, having forgotten Celeste’s earlier slight. 

“That is a shame, Phoenix Wright.” Celeste shook her head. “If you are ever in need of employment, you may beg at my feet, and I will consider your proposal. If you are in need of an opponent in cards… I may be able to make time for you.” Phoenix could’ve sworn he saw a hint of a smile playing at Celeste’s lips as she walked towards the stage. 

“I think you earned some of her respect,” Kyoko said with a small smile. “That’s a feat.” 

“Tell him already!” Maya said with a grin, facing Makoto and Kyoko. Both of their faces turned red.

“Tell me what?” Phoenix asked, but based on their faces, he could take a guess. He glanced down, and he could see their hands were intertwined through the business of their gowns. Phoenix broke out into a grin. “You guys-” 

Kyoko nodded. “I took the advice of you and Detective Gumshoe. I took a leap of faith.” 

Makoto was smiling ear to ear, and Phoenix could see him radiating joy. “I’m going to do everything in my power to be worthy of that faith,” he said. 

“I believe you will,” Kyoko replied, and Phoenix could see a subtle happiness radiating from her. 

Phoenix turned to Maya, and she grinned. “Makoto came to talk to me, and as soon as he had, Kyoko asked him to take a walk with her, and they came back just as I was ready, and I could just tell! I’m so happy for you guys!” Maya gave Kyoko a wide grin.

“Thank you,” Kyoko responded. Her eyes flicked briefly behind her, and Phoenix could see that she’d looked at Edgeworth, who was now talking to Kaede. Her eyes trained on Phoenix. “I was afraid, but I took that leap of faith. It’s worth it, trust me,” she said, and Phoenix felt his heart lurch. “It weighed on me to hold everything in, to go through that cycle that Detective Gumshoe talked about. This helped me really move forward.” 

“No matter what you decide,” Makoto added, catching Kyoko’s drift immediately. “We just want you to be happy, Mr. Wright. You deserve to be happy… and he does too.” Makoto looked at Phoenix and gave him a small smile. “Just promise me you’ll think about it?” 

Before Phoenix could respond, Maya interjected. “Should I… should I come with you guys? The Headmaster is calling everyone to the stage.” 

“Yeah, I think we can get you a gown,” Makoto said. “Let’s go.”

Kyoko raised an eyebrow. “Is Maya… graduating?” 

“No,” Makoto shook his head. “But someone else is, and he needs her help to do it.” 

“You mean…” 

Maya nodded. “It’s the least I can do. I’m happy to do it.” 

Before Phoenix could say another word, the three headed off, and he was left in a state of confusion. Was Maya an ultimate now? Maya joined the ultimates as they stood by the stage, and Chihiro wasted no time showing off Alter Mia, and based on Maya’s grin, she seemed to love it. Maya began to chat with the other ultimates, who seemed too busy enjoying being around her to question what exactly she was doing up there. As for what she was actually doing there… they’d vaguely mentioned a him… before he could dwell on it, Pearl and Sayaka came into the room. Pearl’s hair was now done up in little bows, and she looked ecstatic. Chihiro came running up to them and offered Pearl his laptop, presumably to let Alter Mia watch the ceremony, and Pearl beamed at the technological effigy of her cousin. She gave Sayaka and Chihiro a hug as the latter two separated to go with the rest of the class onstage. Pearl bounded over to Phoenix with Alter Mia, and the two made their way to their seats. As he sat down, he looked towards the stage. Makoto said something to the Headmaster, who smiled and nodded, before walking off and returning with a cap and gown in hand, that Maya gingerly slipped over her shoulders. The other ultimates were all talking and joking, even the more serious ones seemed to be listening in. There was such an air of optimism that radiated from the stage as they all lined up to face their futures. 

“What’s Ms. Fey doing up there?” Phoenix turned to see Edgeworth, who’d taken a seat next to him. Beside Edgeworth was Gumshoe, then Maggey, then Franziska, making comments as well. “Oh!” Edgeworth exclaimed, looking at the laptop. “It appears Mr. Fujisaki’s program has taken on a familiar face. May I?” Edgeworth gingerly took the computer from Pearl’s hands and typed in a greeting. 

“Oh, hello, Miles,” Alter Mia said with a smile. “I’m glad to see you are alright.” 

“Oh, hi Prosecutor!” Alter Ego interrupted, smiling at Edgeworth. Edgeworth typed a greeting back. 

“Hey, tell them I say hi too, sir!!” Gumshoe protested. “And Maggey!” Franziska glared at him, and he gulped. “Oh, and Prosecutor von Karma too!” 

Edgeworth sighed and instead opted to hand the computer back to Pearl. Pearl typed in a message, but she took a while to do so, Phoenix reasoned her inexperience with computers being a primary reason. 

“Hello, Pearl!” Alter Mia smiled. “What would you like to talk about?” Pearl typed again, and Mia frowned. “Mystic Maya is graduating? She is in school?” 

Phoenix sighed, and lightly took the computer from Pearl. He typed in the current situation. 

“Ah,” Alter Mia sighed. “I know what is happening. Don’t you?” 

“Based on our data, this conclusion is the most probable,” Alter Ego agreed. “I am excited to hear about it!”

Just as Phoenix was about to ask them what they were talking about, Phoenix saw Maya, now in cap and gown, kneeling on the ground. The other ultimates stood around her, as if they were waiting for something. When she emerged, she was-

“-Hiro?” Hiroko’s voice rang out through a gymnasium stunned into silence. A single  _ click  _ went off as a stunned Mahiru snapped a picture, while several of the parents and siblings gawked. Kaede stopped playing to stare at them with a dropped jaw.

“Mom!” Hiro’s features lit up the face that formerly housed Maya. His shape caused her to increase in height and slightly darken in complexion, and her previously immaculate hair was now slightly frayed. Hiro pushed his way past the stunned ultimates and made his way over to Hiroko, who’d stood up from her seat in shock. She stood still, as if words couldn’t express how she felt. He wrapped her in a tight hug. “I missed you,” he said at last. “I missed you so much.” 

Hiroko let out a choked sob and hugged him tight. “I miss you every day,” she murmured. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you.”

“It’s okay, for serious!” Hiro replied, trying his best to smile for her. “You couldn’t have known Monokuma was going to do that…no… nevermind. Maya told me I’m graduating today, and that’s what I want to do. You know… I’d never thought this is how I’d see that chick again. I’m in her body!” Hiro rolled up his sleeve to show off some of Maya’s dress. “I’m in a dress right now!” 

Hiroko’s face twitched, and a laugh escaped her lips. “You’re still hilarious,” she managed in between breaths of laughter. “You come back from the dead, and you’re just shocked you’re in girl’s clothes!” 

“This dress is tight on me, and it’s weird to be wearing heels!” Hiro whined. “Is this how girls live? I thought Maya wore those cool robes… man... ” 

“Your ceremony is starting,” Hiroko said gently, finally letting go of Hiro. “Your friends are waiting. We’ll have plenty of time to talk afterwards.” Hiro nodded and walked towards the stage, and Hiroko’s eyes never left him. When Hiro got to the stage, several of the ultimates accosted him with a group hug and even the few that didn’t, looked happy to see him at least. Phoenix could see Hiro talking, and he imagined he was probably telling them it was good to see them. 

The Headmaster tapped on the microphone, and the ultimates filed into line, presumably all chomping at the bit to talk to Hiro. The Headmaster cleared his throat. “I am pleased to officially welcome you all to the graduation ceremony for the 78th class of Hope’s Peak Academy! I am sure you all have heard of the incident that took place here a month ago. A student was murdered, but he’s returned to us now through the divine grace of a spirit medium of the Kurain Channeling technique, who also happened to be part of the legal team responsible for the acquittal of Mr. Naegi. We at Hope’s Peak want to start off by thanking them all for their help in bringing light to the truth of the crime, and making sure justice was served. They have done this school a great service. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts. I would like to acknowledge them all by name. Phoenix Wright, Maya Fey, Mia Fey, Pearl Fey, Miles Edgeworth, Dick Gumshoe, and Franziska von Karma. You all helped us out immensely, and Prosecutor Edgeworth even saved my own life, and Pearl Fey saved the lives of so many students. I give you all my most sincere thanks on the behalf of this academy.” 

Phoenix grinned bashfully as a thunderous applause both from ultimates and family alike lauded him. He saw the ultimates cheering him on, all of them looking towards their group with nothing but gratitude, and it made Phoenix feel like he was on cloud-nine. The parents looked at him with expressions of awe, and Hiroko gave him a slight nod. Phoenix saw Pearl next to him, clutching Alter Ego and Alter Mia, a bit overwhelmed by the attention. However, she seemed to find solace in the smiling icons of Mia and Chihiro looking at her. Edgeworth managed a small bow, clearly out of his element as well, Franziska offered a curt nod and a barely noticeable smile (probably towards Komau) and Gumshoe beamed and waved as Maggey clapped enthusiastically next to him. 

The applause died down, and the ceremony resumed. Headmaster Kirigiri turned towards the ultimates and thanked them for their resilience and strength in a crisis, and he began to talk about Hope’s Peak. He expressed his confidence that the ultimates would go out and make the world better, and in turn, he would begin to better the academy. He talked about having more focus on people as individuals in addition to their talent, as each person comes equipped with a unique background that must be factored into their schooling, and they’d be helped as much as they needed. Phoenix wondered if he’d talk about that reserve course he’d heard so much about. He didn’t. Phoenix shared a brief glance with Edgeworth, whose brows furrowed as well. 

Each ultimate was then called up and given their diploma, where they’d shake hands with the Headmaster and take a seat on stage. Phoenix saw Pearl typing into the laptop, probably to make sure Alter Mia and Alter Ego knew who was being called up, and they’d be able offer their own virtual applause. Pearl did stop to clap extra loudly and cheer when Sayaka was called up first, though. Phoenix found himself making an extra effort to be encouraging and never waver in his enthusiasm, remembering Hiroko’s words. Phoenix made eye-contact with Hiroko, who gave him a brief nod and smile. He shot Leon an encouraging smile as he walked across the stage, and Leon’s features lit up. He waved at Hiroko, who’d given him a cheer as well. Next up was Chihiro, who Pearl grinned at and made sure to hold up Alter Ego and Mia so he could see his own programs cheering him on. Of course, Chihiro’s father found this to be rather adorable, as Phoenix could see him holding in laughter as Chihiro waved to the computer. Then Mondo was called, and Pearl beamed at him and waved, too, and Mondo gave her a grin. Surprisingly, Officer Ishimaru of all people gave him a contented nod, and Phoenix saw Kiyotaka’s features light up from his place in line. Phoenix wondered if Hiroko had anything to do with that. Kiyotaka himself was up next, and he stood at attention the whole time, occasionally looking to his father and Hiroko, the former gave him the most genuine smile Phoenix had ever seen cross the man’s otherwise serious features. Kiyotaka’s grin grew at that, and he saw Edgeworth give the moral compass a brief nod as well. 

Next was Hifumi, who walked up and smiled to his little sister, who cheered from the crowd. Edgeworth shook his head from next to Phoenix, but he looked like he was close to smiling. Celeste walked up next, being nothing but poised. She hardly stopped to look at the crowd, only giving Pearl a cursory glance, but she smiled slightly before taking her seat. Phoenix glanced at the computer to see Alter Mia’s avatar showing off a virtual deck of cards with a knowing smile. Sakura walked gracefully across the stage and accepted her diploma with a bow, letting her parents smile proudly, and Edgeworth dipped his head, as if to indicate he was bowing too. Hina bounded across next, full of energy. Pearl grinned and cheered, but she was completely drowned out by the enthusiasm of Hina’s little brother. Toko was next, and Phoenix made an effort to cheer for her. He was surprised to see Edgeworth giving Toko a small smile, which caused the girl to grin and blush, and of course, Komaru cheered loudly for her friend. 

“I know what you’re thinking Wright,” Edgeworth whispered, giving him a knowing look. “You don’t think I didn’t see that almost half of these children’s parents didn’t show? A smile is the least I can do for that girl… even if her books are not for me.” 

Phoenix gave him a smile. “I knew you had a heart, somewhere.” 

“Be quiet, fools,” Franziska snapped. 

Phoenix and Edgeworth promptly shut up and turned their attention back to the stage, where Byakuya was being called. Phoenix and Edgeworth both resumed their applause, and Byakuya looked to both of them, and Phoenix could see the beginnings of a smile on his face. Phoenix saw Edgeworth openly smile again when Kyoko’s name was called up and Gumshoe cheered her name (and nearly started crying) as she walked up. Phoenix could see the pride in the Headmaster’s eyes as he handed Kyoko her diploma. Phoenix cheered and Kyoko looked to the group of lawyers (and Pearl) and gave a nod, but she was smiling fully. Makoto was called next, and Komaru stood up and cheered, and Makoto blushed at the attention as his parents clapped loudly as well. Phoenix cheered as well, and waved at Makoto with a grin, and Makoto waved back, finally giving into the enthusiasm as he grinned at Phoenix. Lastly, Hiro was called, and Hiroko stood up and cheered, her eyes wavering with happy tears. Hiro shook the Headmaster’s hand with a grin, and he smiled at Hiroko, and Phoenix could see how excited he was to actually be graduating. The ultimates cheered as well, and Phoenix did too. Pearl grinned, and Hiro locked eyes with Phoenix, and he gave a nod, as if to give a nonverbal thank you. He sat down in his chair, and his portrait had been removed. He glanced at the empty seat next to him, and Phoenix realized he was probably wondering where Mukuro and Junko were. Hiro merely held his diploma and chose not to comment. 

The Headmaster turned to the crowd. “I present to you all, the 78th graduating class of Hope’s Peak Academy!” A deafening chorus of cheers erupted as the ultimates stood up, now no longer students, ready to face the future. 

The ceremony ended, and the ultimates crowded around Yasuhiro. Phoenix found himself making his way over there as well, curious to hear what they were saying. He wasn’t alone, Edgeworth, Gumshoe, Pearl, and Franziska followed him. 

“Hiro, holy shit!” Leon exclaimed, wrapping him in another hug. “You fucking graduated, dude!” 

“I am so proud of you, Hiro!” Kiyotaka declared. “You expressed to me how you never thought you would graduate, and now you have! It is so amazing that you have achieved this!” 

“Thank you guys, for serious! Hey…” Yasuhiro gently disentangled himself from Leon. He looked straight at Makoto. “Are you okay, dude? I mean… the last time I saw you…” 

“I’m sorry, Hiro,” Makoto murmured sadly. The pain in his voice made Phoenix’s heart ache. The ultimates went silent as Makoto looked at Hiro. He could barely maintain eye contact, despite the channeling being his idea. “I’m sorry I didn’t save you. I-I know you must’ve been scared at that moment a-and…” 

“I-I should apologize too, Hiro,” Chihiro mumbled. “I was a few doors away, and I-I didn’t even hear it… I’m so sorry!” 

“I’m sorry for making you study, Hiro! This is my fault!” Kiyotaka shouted. 

“Sorry for not being there, man,” Leon said, looking away from Hiro. “I’ll always regret it.” 

Hiro sighed, and shook his head. “Man, and I really didn’t want to bum you guys out either. It’s not any of your faults, and I’m honestly just glad you guys are alive and shit, considering everything. Especially you,” Hiro gave Makoto a serious look and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You were there for me, and yeah, it was fucking terrifying, but you were there, and you tried to help. Honestly, I’m just glad Monokuma didn’t get you too, but I guess Junko and Ikusaba weren’t so lucky,” Hiro’s face fell. “I left that card as a warning, but I hardly was aware… I guess it didn’t do any good. The illuminati really did catch up to me, and they took two of my friends!” At Hiro’s last statement, it was like an icy weight had dropped on the newly graduated class. They all exchanged glances, as if no one wanted to be the one to say it. 

“Hagakure,” Byakuya managed, “Do you truly believe the illuminati of all people broke into the school in a Monokuma mask and killed you? I don’t think you’re that stupid.” 

“What do you think happened, Hiro?” Makoto asked gently. 

“Well,” Hiro crossed his arms. “I remember getting stabbed and it hurt like hell… they laughed. I remembered this laugh before the killer attacked me, and it just was so… familiar. I swear I’d heard that laugh before.” Hiro frowned. “I didn’t want to think about it but….where are Junko and Ikusaba?” 

“Hiro…” Makoto pursed his lips. 

“Hagakure, Enoshima killed you.” Kyoko said. “Ikusaba was her accomplice. They’re both in prison now. I’m sorry.” 

“Oh, man!” Hiro’s eyes widened. “For serious?! That laugh was Junko?! Why would she want to...” 

The class began to talk to Hiro, trying to explain all of Junko’s actions. They ended up talking over one another as they recounted the case. Hiro, for his part, looked pretty overwhelmed by the whole thing. Phoenix could hardly blame him.

“Hey…” Hiro turned towards Phoenix. “You’re uh, Phoenix Wright, right? The spiky-haired one! Maya called you Nick when we met.” Hiro took off his graduation cap and fiddled with Maya’s braid. “I’ve got to thank you. According to everyone, you really stepped up and stuff. Thanks for that. I really appreciate it. You looked out for my friends, and even my mom.” Hiro gave him a rather wide grin. “Plus, I got to be channeled by your sexy assistant!” 

“Oh, it’s no problem,” Phoenix said, choosing to ignore that he’d called Maya sexy. Of course, Hiro wouldn’t have had much of a chance anyway. He wasn’t exactly her type. 

“Seriously?!” Byakuya exclaimed. “You’re just over it that quickly?!” 

“H-he thinks M-maya’s sexy,” Toko said with a sly grin. “W-who’s gonna tell him?” 

Hiro raised an eyebrow. “There’s no use being upset when I’m already dead, Togami,” Hiro said. “If anything… I’m just upset for Ikusaba. That just sounds messed up. I did tell her the few times we talked she needed to relax. Of course, I miss you guys and my mom too, but I’m here now, right? There’s no use dwelling on all that despair crap I honestly still don’t get. I do think that’s what Enoshima would’ve wanted us to do, and there’s no way I’m doing that!” 

“That was very well said, Yasuhiro,” Sakura said sagely. 

“Of course! I can be pretty smart! I was going to graduate soon!” Hiro looked at Toko. “What exactly were you going to tell me about Maya? I do think she’s kinda cute, y’know. Look!” With a fluid motion, Hiro took off his gown and cap to reveal the dress again. “Cute, huh?” 

“You want to be my cousin’s special someone?” Pearl inquired, sizing up Hiro. “I don’t think so, Mr. Nick already is!” 

“It’s not as cute with your visage and frame,” Celeste sighed, shaking her head. “You do that dress a disservice, Hagakure, and I hate to speak ill of the dead.” 

“Dude…” Leon’s lips twitched, and he burst out laughing. “You look ridiculous!” 

“Well,” Hiro faced Leon with his hands on his hips. “I think I look pretty good for a dead guy.” Hiro looked close to laughing as well, and he seemed happy to have made Leon laugh. 

“Maya’s doin’ the heavy lifting,” Mondo deadpanned. “… I wonder if Daiya thought like this.” 

“Hey, you!” Pearl clutched Alter Ego as she looked at Hiro. “You need to apologize to Mr. Nick!” 

“He isn’t her special someone, or whatever,” Hiro sighed. “I do remember her telling me that! Right?” 

“He isn’t,” Edgeworth of all people answered rather quickly. 

“Yeah, you’d know,” Phoenix heard someone mutter. 

“Hey, why don’t you guys catch me up on exactly what’s been going on, okay? Everything is just making me confused right now, for serious!” Hiro turned towards the ultimates. He grinned casually as if nothing was amiss.“So, what’s up?” 

Phoenix and the others stepped away as the ultimates began to talk, each one filling Hiro in. Pearl typed into the computer, and he saw the pictures of Alter Mia and Chihiro smiling as Pearl filled them in, albeit typing at snail speed. 

“Wow, they’re really going to overwhelm him, huh?” Maggey said. 

“I think it’s nice,” Edgeworth said with a sigh. “It’s like he never left in a way. He seems like… a character. I do wonder if he truly thought the illuminati had killed him.” 

“I think he was trying to let those kids down easy,” Hiroko said. The six turned to face Hiroko, who’d made her way to them with Officer Ishimaru. “I know what some people think, but I don’t think my son is an idiot. The illuminati isn’t associated with Monokuma for him. If they’d come in with an alien mask, then maybe he’d be telling the truth. I think once he saw who was missing, he had a guess, though I’d think he’d probably suspected Mukuro first.” 

“He is your son,” Franziska said with a small nod. “I suppose you would know.” 

“He’s probably just glad to see them again,” Hiroko replied. “I think he just wants them all to enjoy themselves. Talking about death would just make everything worse… and today is a good day. For the rest of these kids, they’re lives just started.” 

“Dude, seriously?!” The group turned towards where Hiro was facing Kiyotaka with a wide grin. “We could be brothers in law!”

“That would be a great honor, Hiro! I have never had a sibling, alive or dead!” 

Hiroko smirked as Officer Ishimaru blushed. Phoenix bit back a laugh at Hiro’s genuine enthusiasm as he shot his mom a thumbs up before diving back into conversation. Mahiru was snapping pictures of the students standing together, and Phoenix found himself smiling his biggest grin yet. Everything just felt right. He couldn’t help but listen more as Hiro reacted to the news around him. 

“Congrats, Kyoko!” Yasuhio gave Kyoko a wink. “I knew you’d get him eventually! Man, you two were so obvious too, it was painful, man!” 

“... thank you, Yasuhiro. I can tell from your words that you viewed me as the more assertive one… and you are right.” Kyoko managed a small smile. 

He grinned as Hiro elbowed Makoto with a laugh as the latter turned bright red. Hiro looked thrilled to hear about Leon’s growing interest in music, and he listened as Chihiro talked about creating Alter Mia. 

“You know,” Edgeworth mentioned, “I think that Alter Mia could be employed at a national level. We could use software that digitally keeps track of evidence, so we don’t have to rely on keeping physical items around that can be stolen. This way, getting rid of evidence could be near impossible with an AI keeping track of it…. I think I’m going to talk to Chihiro soon. Chihiro did offer to install new software, and I will take her up on that.” Edgeworth said, being mindful to keep Chihiro’s secret. He faced Phoenix with a small smile. “For all you know, Mia could be the face of a new brand of law software.” 

“That’d be something…” Phoenix managed a smile back. “I think Mia would be proud.” 

“This is…” Detective Gumshoe sniffled. 

“Detective,” Pearl asked, “Are you crying?” She typed into the computer. 

“Don’t cry, Detective Gumshoe!” Alter Ego said, concern gracing its features. “This is a good day! Master and the other ultimates have graduated!” 

“I-I’m just so proud of Kyoko and the rest of them,” he blubbered, taking a handkerchief from Maggey. 

“Don’t be a foolish fool!” Komaru popped up from behind Gumshoe. “It’s okay to be all proud and blubbery! It shows you care! I’m about to cry myself! It’s so cool to see everyone happy again, especially Makoto and Toko!” Komaru patted Gumshoe on the back, and Franziska handed Komaru her own handkerchief from her breast pocket. 

“You have a tender heart, Komaru,” Franziska said, giving Komaru an affectionate look. “It is touching to see.”

“Hey, Mr. Wright!” Hiro, along with the ultimates, walked over to their group. “I’ve totally decided something with the help of my friends here. As a thanks, I’ve decided to let you be my first customer from beyond the grave! I’m going to give you a free reading!” Hiro took Phoenix’s hand before he could protest and began to trace the lines on his hand. The ultimates looked at him with bated breath. Phoenix did wonder what he would say. “Hmm… If only I had my cards…” 

Hiroko handed Hiro his cards from his jacket pocket, and she draped his jacket around him, which was an odd look combined with the dress. “You look so handsome… and beautiful…” Hiroko said. “That’s a compliment to both you and Maya, who you apparently had no chance with, death notwithstanding. I do think you’re a good boy, and any girl would’ve been lucky to have you!” 

“Mom,” Hiro sighed, blushing with embarrassment, but it was clear he was flattered. “Let’s just say that I now know that Maya and I happen to have, uh, similar interests.” Pearl raised an eyebrow, and Phoenix bit back a smile. “Anyway…” Hiro shuffled through the deck, and pulled out three cards. He frowned. “Man… my death must’ve made me even worse!” He laid out the three cards. The tower, upright. Eight of cups, upright. Page of swords, reversed. 

“I’m just relieved not to see three of swords,” Phoenix sighed. 

“These aren’t exactly great, dude,” Hiro sighed. He gave Phoenix a worried look. “The tower upright means that your pride is going to be broken, and a sudden disaster is going to strike. Eight of cups upright means that you’re going to walk away from something, becoming disillusioned, and the page of swords reversed means that there is deception and manipulation waiting for you…” Phoenix felt a lump of dread in his throat, but Phoenix saw Hiro snap his fingers and smile. “I know!” he exclaimed. “My predictions must be stuck in the past somehow, because all of this stuff happened in the case, if I remember from what everyone just kinda shouted at me. Basically, this is all in the past because I haven’t yet been acclimated to the present day! I think that if the illuminati were here, they could probably help me get my sense of time back.” 

“Uh, yeah,” Phoenix laughed. “I’m sure that’s it.” To be fair, Phoenix wasn’t all that rattled. He’d heard about Hiro’s 30% accuracy rate, and if anything, the poor guy was just wrong. It probably wouldn't be the first time. 

Hiro took Phoenix’s palm again, and he gave him an intense look. “I have been getting a rather strong vision...you’re going to be a known piano player, Mr. Wright!” Hiro grinned. “You might want to get practicing.”

“Wait, really?” Phoenix perked up. 

“He did say you would be known, Phoenix Wright,” Franziska pointed out. “He never said you were known for being good.” 

“Maybe I’ll be able to play like her,” Phoenix said, motioning to Kaede.

“Maybe,” Hiro nodded sagely. 

“She’s the ultimate pianist, I highly doubt it,” Edgeworth quipped. “Sorry Wright, but I believe you should stick to being a lawyer.” 

“Anyone can play if they try hard enough!” Kaede piped up. She patted the seat next to her. “Give it a try!” 

Phoenix sat down next to her, and tentatively plucked a few keys. Was that good? He started to feel a sense of inspiration as he began to let his fingers glide over the keys. This was nice. Maybe Hiro was right-

“-Stop!” Kaede grabbed his hand suddenly. Phoenix looked up, and saw the whole room covering their ears. 

“You may want to stick to being a lawyer after all, pal,” Gumshoe sighed. 

“If it counts for anything, you’re a great lawyer, Mr. Wright!” Makoto offered with an apologetic smile. 

“If anything, you have quite a bit of practice ahead of you,” Byakuya deadpanned. “For all of our sakes.” 

“Don’t give up hope, Phoenix!” Alter Mia said from the computer. “You can do it!” 

Phoenix laughed. He realized how absurd this all was. A dead clairvoyant had tried to give him career advice, and he was known for being wrong. Sure, he’d loved listening to the piano, but playing it on a whim seemed idealistic anyway, and if anything, he’d given everyone significant hearing damage. He looked at everyone, and smiles were beginning to crack on their faces. Makoto joined in his laughter, and Pearly did too. Hiro began to laugh as well, and then it was like a dam had broken as the gym erupted into cheery laughter and smiles, big and small. Even Byakuya hid a smirk behind his hand. Phoenix felt that familiar hope again. At that moment, it was as if everyone was engulfed in a wave of positivity and hope. Things were going to be okay. 

“Hey,” Sayaka grabbed the microphone off the Headmaster’s podium. “In order to get our minds off… that… how about a new, original song!” Sayaka made eye contact with Leon, who dashed off and came back shortly with his guitar. 

“Hell yeah, Leon!” Hiro cheered. “You’ve got a girlfriend and a possible music career!” 

Leon’s face turned red as laughter broke out again. “Dude! C’mon!” 

Pearl’s eyes widened with realization, and a gigantic grin broke out on her face. She tugged on Phoenix’s sleeve and grinned, and Phoenix found himself smiling right back. 

“This song goes out to a very special little girl,” Sayaka said into the microphone. “Pearly, this song is just for you!” 

The ultimates turned towards Pearl, who was beaming and grinning, holding Alter Mia close in one hand with unbridled excitement. Leon began to play the beginning chords of the song, and Pearl leaned on Phoenix, her eyes not leaving the stage. Phoenix put an arm around her, drawing her closer. Phoenix looked at her, and he felt that warmth of hope seeing her happy and excited. Sayaka’s vocals started, enveloping him in a warm melody as the song spoke of a little girl who ventured into the forest to save her friends from an evil bear. 

He looked around. The Headmaster leaned against the piano, looking towards the stage with pride. He saw Hiro sitting by Hiroko and grinning as she wrapped her arms around him. Makoto gently took Kyoko’s hand, and she smiled softly. Byakuya made a disgusted face, but Makoto gave him such a genuine grin, he relented, barely smiling instead. Toko sat down by Komaru and smiled a rare smile at her while the other girl bobbed to the music. Chihiro sat in the middle of Mondo and Hina, the three of them exchanging whispers and grinning. Kiyotaka shook his head at the three, but he seemed to be biting back a grin. Sakura watched them go on with a content, peaceful smile. Celeste and Hifumi sat together, and he presented her a drawing Phoenix couldn’t see, but he could’ve sworn she liked it. Detective Gumshoe grinned and gestured towards Kyoko and Makoto, elbowing Maggey with a wide grin. Franziska even seemed content, tapping a single gloved finger in rhythm to the song. Phoenix met Edgeworth’s gaze right as the lyrics hit the chorus, and the brave little girl confronted the bear. 

“Wright…” Edgeworth whispered. “Seeing all of these ultimates here, knowing they’re about to achieve great things… it’s amazing. It makes me less worried for the future.” 

The lyrics continued, Sayaka’s melodic voice leading the girl to kill the bear, saving her friends from danger. 

“I agree,” Phoenix whispered back. He looked around again. He caught Makoto’s eye, and he smiled. Phoenix grinned. “I know that things won’t be perfect overnight, but these kids are going to help lead us to a better tomorrow. The future is going to be great, I can feel it. I trust them. I know all of them will do great things.”

“Is that a psychic prediction, Wright?” Edgeworth gave him a small, sarcastic smile, but Phoenix could see the emotion in his eyes. 

“No,” Phoenix said. “I’ve got hope in all of them, and I don’t need a psychic prediction.” Phoenix looked back out at the crowd again, and Edgeworth followed him. The song ended, and the gentle melody carried the little girl into the arms of her grateful friends. The gymnasium burst into applause, and Pearl was grinning ear to ear as everyone offered her various complements. Soon, everyone began to mingle again, exchanging congratulations, goodbyes, well wishes. Mahiru gathered the ultimates together for a group photo and they all stood together, and it was as if they were one again. 

“What would you call it, then, Wright?” Edgeworth asked. His gaze never left the ultimates, all celebration and smiles. “What was that little hunch you had, that makes you so sure, even when something bad could happen? We have only known these ultimates a short time, and who knows what they’ll be.” 

“I don’t know anything for certain, but I’m going to have hope in them anyway.” Phoenix smiled. “It’s a leap of faith.” 

*

*

*

May 30th, 3:00 PM

Detention Center, Prison Yard

“I hope they’re having fun,” Mukuro murmured. “I hope they don’t say a word about me.” 

Iris frowned. She never liked it when Mukuro got like this, and she expected today of all days to be a rough one. Mukuro told her that the graduation ceremony for her classmates was supposed to take place today. Iris had encouraged her to try and seek an escort for the day, and she’d even offered to speak on Mukuro’s behalf to a committee, but the younger girl refused. She’d been insistent on not going, in fact, stating that she thought it was the least she could do to stay away. Knowing the details of what she’d done, Iris couldn’t argue, but it made Iris’s heart ache to see her like this. There was a part of her that wanted desperately to be there, and Iris knew it. She’d really grown to care about this girl ever since she’d introduced herself about a month ago. The two had become inseparable since that point and she saw a lot of herself in Mukuro. 

“Mukuro,” Iris said gently, placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “I’m sure they did talk about you at some point. It’s inevitable. Whether you see it that way or not, you’re always going to be a part of the group, for better or for worse. Besides, I’m sure your friends will visit you later today. What about Makoto?” Mukuro’s cheeks dusted pink at the mention of Makoto, and Iris bit back a smile. She’d heard enough about this Makoto boy from Feenie himself and Mukuro to put two and two together. She supposed that she and Mukuro did have similar situations in both sororities and romances. “What about Sayaka? Sakura?” Iris smiled at Mukuro, trying to get her to smile back. She hardly ever did, but Iris wasn’t about to give up. “I’m still sore from that workout she had us do!” 

“You didn’t have to do it,” Mukuro replied. “Sakura just told me about it…” 

“You needed a buddy!” Iris grinned. “I was happy to.” 

“I don’t want them to visit today,” Mukuro sighed. “I want them to have this day to themselves to be happy. I’ve ruined their lives enough… sometimes I think that Junko’s right. They saw the true me… and it ruined everything. I-I ruined everything.” 

“Mukuro,” Iris gently brushed away a stray tear that fell down the younger girl’s cheek. 

“I’m sorry,” Mukuro said suddenly. “You’ve been nothing but kind to me, and I even told Pearl I’d be kind… but I think I make you sad. You don’t have to hang out with me just because of Mr. Wright.” 

Iris shook her head. “I don’t spend time with you because Feenie told me about you, or offered for you to find me. I like you, Mukuro. It’s nice to finally have a friend here, and I like talking to you. You don’t make me sad. We talked about this, remember? What your sister said to you for so long? She made you think that your friends would abandon you if you stuck around too long, let your, erm, soldier side ruin them and they’d fail to understand your despair in combat. Your friendship isn’t a burden, Mukuro. You may have messed up, but you aren’t this evil monster. You’re a good person. At the very least, you’re my friend.” Iris gently reached out and squeezed Mukuro’s left hand, the one with the wolf tattoo. “When we get out of here,” Iris said wistfully. “I’m going to take you to my home. I’ll show you around the temples and how the bells work, and I’ll fix you an authentic meal, and we’ll finally be able to mediate in a proper space. You’ll love it there.” 

“Hazuraka Temple?” Mukuro’s expression brightened slightly. “I-I like hearing you talk about it, and meditating with you has been nice. It sounds really great.”

“Oh, it is! I’m sure Sister Bikini will be thrilled to have you!” Iris said. “Everything will be okay!” 

Mukuro’s expression faltered slightly. “Iris,” she said, “Do you think that I’ll ever be accepted among them again? Please be honest with me.” 

Iris gave Mukuro a concerned glance. She sighed. “Truthfully, I don’t know if all of them will come around. For me, I was lucky in that Sister Bikini still loves me like a daughter despite what I did, and my little sister and cousin forgave me. Feenie forgave me.” Iris felt a slight blush growing on her cheeks as she thought of him. “I just know this, you have to give them a reason to forgive you again. Just work on moving forward and taking responsibility for what you did, but also know that you were manipulated and tricked. You’re not a bad person, Mukuro, and you have to truly realize that too if you’re going to change.” 

Mukuro cracked the smallest hint of a smile. “Thanks… that was really nice of you… and I know you’re telling the truth. I-I spent so long getting lied to by the person I loved the most, I guess it’s nice getting the truth all the time now.” 

Iris stood up and offered Mukuro a hand. “Come on,” she said gently. “There’s an empty patch of grass over there, and I think we could use a meditation session, and we’ll clear our heads and think positive! We’ll pick up right where we left off.” 

Mukuro took her hand, and the two made their way over to the grassy area and sat down together. Iris took Mukuro’s hands in hers and began to slowly lead Mukuro into the session, and she smiled as she saw the girl’s normally tense features relax as she closed her eyes. Truthfully, Iris wanted to make sure Mukuro was content and happy today. The graduation was today, but that wasn’t the only reason. She’d overheard news of Junko recently, and she didn’t want to add more worry and stress to Mukuro, who still acted like a deer in headlights at the mention of her now infamous sister’s name. She could tell her the news tomorrow. 

For today, however, Iris let that worry slip away as she gingerly held Mukuro’s hands as the other girl took deep breaths. Soon, Iris closed her eyes to join her, and both women relaxed as the cool breeze gently swirled around them, transporting them to the cold mountains of Hazuraka. They stood outside the main temple together, hands interlocked. In this world, they were free, just for a blissful moment. They looked at each other with smiles and headed into the warmth of the temple, where their friends awaited them with open arms. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there it is! I wanted to give Phoenix at least a bit of a moment with everyone, so it is rather long. I also wanted to bring back Hiro to bookend the fic with his appearances, and to finally get him caught up on the shenanigans and give him the graduation he deserved, because the poor guy really got put through it this story. Anywho, I also felt wrong completely leaving Mukuro in the cold, so I gave her a stint in the epilogue through Iris's eyes, because I've grown attached to their potential dynamic in my head, and I thought it would be appropriate to show you guys how that's playing out. Of course, I intended to show that Phoenix is getting to see a bit more of Hope's Peak with him meeting other students and wondering a bit more about things like the reserve course. Of course, I only put in students who'd serve some sort of purpose, like Kaede giving ambience and Mahiru taking photos. Of course, a lot of this epilogue is nice and hopeful, but it's aso intended to be a lot harsher in hindsight... let's just say Hiro's gotten a lot of stuff right. I think you guys know. On a happier note, this was pretty shippy, but it is Valentine's day, and these guys deserve nice things at least. 
> 
> Miscellaneous Headcannons:  
> -Chihiro frequently asks Alter Mia for advice and is working on showing her how store evidence electronically   
> -Pearl gets a recording from Sayaka with her song on it, and she listens to it all the time  
> -Mahiru mailed a portfolio of all the party photos to the attendees of the party, and Phoenix likes to look at all of them  
> -Edgeworth gets letters from Hifumi with legitimate Steel Samurai discourse and he actually replies to them  
> -Gumshoe is Kyoko's best work friend, and they occasionally double date with Makoto and Maggey after completing a case  
> -Hina and Maya also meet up for donuts frequently and gossip about everyone else  
> -Pearl eventually does learn to ride a motorbike and Mondo couldn't be more proud  
> -I'd like to think Maya, Nekomaru, Akane, and Pearl make it to Hazuraka again  
> -Mukuro and Iris's meditation space consists of them imagining Hazuraka Temple with all their friends there to be with them and forgive them, finally being together.  
> -Komaru wears her brooch from Franziska with all her outfits, and thinks about making a manga with her as a heroine, and Franziska encourages it  
> (Honestly, I just have fun imagining this stuff. Thanks for indulging me, and if you guys have any, I'm all ears.) 
> 
> Lastly, I'd like to run some ideas by you guys, if only to guage interest. I have some unrelated DR oneshots I may write, and there is no guaruntee any of this will happen, I'm just putting it out there.   
> 1\. Ultra Despair Pearls (The DR cannon version of this universe, where Pearl is brought into the warriors of hope after being seperated from Phoenix and Maya, and must learn to survive with them, and resist Monaca's mind games. Phoenix and Maya look for her, and Toko and Komaru meet with some other characters. I can't say too much without revealing what I'd have in mind, but it would be a chance to explore DR canon and how AA characters would fare.)  
> 2\. A Possible Sequel (I was thinking about a possible post-disbarment AJ canon mystery, and I may or may not have laid down a few hooks in this story. Of course, I'd bring in an extended cast, taking and leaving others, depending on what I had in mind. Of course, this'd take a while, because I don't have a concrete idea where I'd go with this yet.)  
> 3\. Disbarrment (A possible collection of oneshots with the assorted cast reacting to Phoenix's disbarrment and/or running into him afterwards. I'd probably put it in the other person's pov, as Phoenix would be viewed from their eyes. It'd show what they're up to, how they react to Phoenix, or even just meeting Trucy. This could also include some other important meet-ups, and could be a possible prelude to 2, if you guys were interested.) 
> 
> Well, that's all! Again, thank you all so much for encouraging me throughout this series! I just love both of these series so much, and this was pretty much my love letter to both, and my way of bringing characters together.


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